Chicago Parking Ticket Data Battle: Lessons from a FOIA Lawsuit
2025-03-03
This article recounts the author's experience battling the City of Chicago in a FOIA lawsuit over access to the schema of its parking ticket database (table and column names). Initially, the author requested the data using an SQL query, but the city refused, citing security concerns. Despite winning at trial, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned the decision, significantly broadening the ability of public agencies to deny FOIA requests. The case highlights the difficulties of government data transparency and the importance of data dictionaries in simplifying access. The author also notes Chicago's failed attempt at a data dictionary, "Metalicious," further complicating data access.
(mchap.io)
Misc
government lawsuit