What does the municipality do with all the information created and received every day? Who is allowed to see it? And how can you make use of it yourself? We invite you to discover with us during the Week of Open Amsterdam from November 10 to 15 how an open and transparent government works.

As a municipality, we make decisions every day that affect the city and its residents. About housing, traffic, care, sustainability, and much more. We must make information about this public so you can see how decisions are made. This is stated in the Open Government Act (Woo).

Public Government Information

The law ensures that government information becomes more findable and accessible. There are more than 130,000 documents available via Open Amsterdam, the website where we actively publish publicly released documents. And anyone who wants more information can request it here.

Workshops and Activities

During the Week of Open Amsterdam, we show what an open government means in practice, with various activities at the City Archives.

Public Day at the City Archives

On Saturday, November 15, we organize a public day at the City Archives: ‘Open Amsterdam x City Archives’. A day full of workshops, activities, help with using Open Amsterdam, free admission to the exhibition De Wallen by Dana Lixenberg, an app game, and much more.

Program

A small selection of what else is happening:

  • Media Literacy Workshop (November 12)

Media consciously and unconsciously influence people. You will learn how to deal with this in a healthy, so-called media-wise way.

  • Symposium ‘Open Doors! Open Amsterdam x City Archives (November 13)

A symposium with 3 inspiring speakers about citizen deliberation, the digital society, and the role and meaning of openness within the philosophy of Socrates.

  • Futureproof Workshop in a Time of Fake News and Disinformation (November 15)

A workshop about the dangers of disinformation. How do you deal with fake news? What are the threats, and better yet, how do you recognize it?

Registration

The full program of the Week of Open Amsterdam can be found at Amsterdam Open.

You can register for activities via The Week of Open Amsterdam.

Working Together on Trust

With this week, we want to show that openness is not just something for civil servants or administrators, but for everyone who lives or works in Amsterdam. Because we build an open city together. By asking questions, sharing information, and continuing to talk about what can be improved.

Learn More

Do you have questions about the Week of Open Amsterdam, the program, or registration? Send an email to openbaarheidscentrum@amsterdam.nl or visit Amsterdam Open.

Help with Open Amsterdam

If you want to look up publicly released documents and get stuck, you can get help at Open Amsterdam in the City Archives Amsterdam. You are welcome from Tuesday to Friday between 10:00 and 17:00. There is also a walk-in consultation every first Wednesday morning of the month. Here you can learn more about open government or submitting a request under the Woo.