tampaBayOpenData

tampaBayOpenData provides R functions for searching public datasets from six Tampa Bay publishers and retrieving their records. It includes a selected list of datasets whose structure has been checked and can also search publisher catalogs online. Results are returned as tables or, with the optional sf package, spatial objects.

Five-minute beginner tutorial

Install

Install the released package from CRAN:

install.packages("tampaBayOpenData")

For the development version, install pak with install.packages("pak") if needed, then run pak::pak("Jaclenga/tampaBayOpenData").

Quick start

Search the built-in catalog, retrieve a small preview of St. Petersburg parks, and inspect the resulting table:

library(tampaBayOpenData)

matches <- tbod_search_datasets("parks", source = "checked")
matches[, c("id", "title")]

parks <- tbod_get_dataset("stpete-parks", limit = 100)
head(parks)
nrow(parks)
names(parks)

The search results include dataset IDs you can use to retrieve records. head() shows the first few rows, nrow() counts the rows you received, and names() lists their columns. Catalog search works offline; retrieval contacts the publisher. limit = 100 returns at most 100 records, so this preview may not contain the whole dataset.

What data can I find?

The package covers selected public data from the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater; Hillsborough and Pinellas counties; and the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council.

A checked dataset has had its structure inspected by the package maintainers. The checked catalog is a selection, not a complete inventory of any publisher. Structure checks help detect changes, but do not guarantee that a service is available or that its records are accurate. See the coverage guide and schema checks.

You can also search a publisher's current online catalog. For example, search the City of Tampa for housing data:

tbod_search_datasets("housing", source = "live", portals = "city")

Live results depend on publisher availability and search limits, so they may miss datasets. The discovery guide explains more ways to search.

Example map

With the optional sf package installed, you can retrieve spatial data to make maps. This map combines checked City of Tampa capital-project locations with a city boundary:

City of Tampa data retrieved October 3, 2026 (both source items marked CC0). The shoreline-adjusted boundary is not a legal survey; the points do not establish current project status or complete coverage. Reproduce the map or follow the spatial walkthrough.

Learn more

• Retrieval and downloads explains filters, larger downloads, and common errors.
• Function reference lists package functions.
• Practical tutorials: housing and development, water quality, and infrastructure projects.

Data sources and limitations

The publishers maintain the underlying datasets; the package does not control their availability, completeness, or accuracy. tbod_dataset_info("stpete-parks") shows catalog source details, and tbod_provenance(parks) records where and when a result was retrieved. These details help trace a result, but do not verify individual records.

The package's MIT license covers its code; source data may have different reuse terms. Check the coverage and source notes before using a dataset.

Citation and contributing

Cite both the package and the original data publisher and dataset. Run citation("tampaBayOpenData") for the package citation. See the contributing guide for contribution instructions.