Explore & improve Houston with open data β as a quest.
Turn real City of Houston datasets into missions. Hunt down data red flags, map your neighborhood, decode charts, and find real civic opportunities β earning XP and badges as you go.
Get started
Pick your data guide
Eight Houston-themed guides each unlock a different lens on city data. Pick the one whose specialty matches what you want to explore.
Data Detective
TipNew here? Pick a guide below and try a starter mission. Even spotting one red flag teaches you more about Houston than most spreadsheets.
π§ Choose your data guide
Eight characters, each with a civic specialty and their own missions.
Data Detective
Investigator of suspicious numbers
Red flags, data quality, and spotting errors
Neighborhood Hero
Champion of local communities
Neighborhood comparisons and local issues
Flood Watcher
Guardian against flooding
Flooding, drainage, and storm data
Permit Inspector
Auditor of building activity
Permits, development, and construction delays
Safety Scout
Watcher of public safety
Crime, fire, and emergency response
Park Ranger
Steward of green spaces
Parks, trails, and public spaces
Budget Tracker
Follower of the money
Budget, spending, and contracts
Infrastructure Builder
Engineer of city systems
Streets, water, and infrastructure
π Featured Houston datasets
Hand-picked datasets with rich charts, maps, and stories.
Houston 311 Service Requests
Every non-emergency request residents file with the City of Houston: potholes, missed trash, dead animals, water leaks, and more.
Houston Police Incident Reports
Reported crime incidents by type, location, and date across Houston police districts.
Houston Building Permits
Building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits issued by the Houston Permitting Center.
Houston Drainage & Flooding Complaints
Resident complaints about drainage, standing water, and flooding routed to Public Works.
π© Latest data red flags
Suspicious values our scanner caught in the open data β see if you agree.
This record is dated in the future.
Next step: Check for a typo or a time-zone/format bug at the source.
This record is dated in the future.
Next step: Check for a typo or a time-zone/format bug at the source.
This record is dated in the future.
Next step: Check for a typo or a time-zone/format bug at the source.
A count or amount is negative where that should be impossible.
Next step: Confirm whether negatives represent refunds/corrections or are simply errors.
π‘ Civic opportunities
Real problems in the data β and how you could help fix them.
Slow 311 Pothole Repairs in Sunnyside
Pothole requests in Sunnyside take far longer to close than the city average.
The problem
Pothole requests in Sunnyside take far longer to close than the city average.
Repeat Flooding Complaints Near Brays Bayou
A handful of streets generate drainage complaints after every storm.
The problem
A handful of streets generate drainage complaints after every storm.
Ready to become a Houston data hero?
Pick a guide, take on a starter mission, and start earning XP in minutes. No account required.
Begin onboarding β