M
API Matrix

Urban Observatory API

Open Data / No Auth Required Beginner HTTP
Free to Use Varies (check documentation)
77 Score
Grade B
Visit Official Site Compare Alternatives

Overview

The Urban Observatory API provides access to the largest collection of publicly available real-time urban sensor data in the UK, including traffic, air quality, noise, and environmental readings from across Newcastle and beyond. No API key is required, so you can start exploring city sensor streams immediately. It is an excellent resource for data science projects, smart city research, or any application that needs live urban environmental data.

💡

Beginner Tip

Use the /sensors endpoint first to discover what sensor types are available and their IDs before querying time-series data—this prevents wasted requests on non-existent sensors.

Available Data

Urban Observatory data via REST API
JSON-formatted response data
Freely accessible without authentication

Example Response

JSON Response 
{
  "status": "success",
  "data": {
    "result": "Data from Urban Observatory",
    "description": "The largest set of publicly available real time urban data in the UK",
    "timestamp": "2025-01-15T10:00:00Z"
  }
}

Field Reference

sensors List of sensor objects returned for the current page of results.
sensors[].name Human-readable name identifying the sensor and its location.
sensors[].broker.id Unique identifier for the sensor, used to query its time-series data.
sensors[].timeseries Available measurement streams for this sensor, each with its own variable type and unit.
sensors[].location GeoJSON-compatible location object containing the sensor's latitude and longitude.

Implementation Example 

const url = "https://urbanobservatory.ac.uk/";
const response = await fetch(url);
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

What Can You Build?

Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

Empty data array for a sensor Querying a time range where the sensor was offline or had no readings.
✓ Try a broader time range or check the sensor's last active timestamp before querying historical data.
Slow response on timeseries endpoint Requesting a very long historical time range for high-frequency sensors generates large payloads.
✓ Limit your time range to hours or a single day at a time, and paginate through results using the provided offset parameters.
404 on sensor endpoint Using a sensor ID that has been decommissioned or never existed.
✓ Re-query the /sensors endpoint to get the current list of active sensor IDs and update your code accordingly.

Matrix Score Breakdown

🌐 Reachability 30/30
⚡ Speed 15/20
🔒 Security 5/15
🛠 Developer XP 20/20
✓ Reliability 7/15
Response Time 312ms

Fully tested on Apr 5, 2026

Technical Specifications

Auth No Auth
HTTPS NO
CORS NO
Category Open Data
Difficulty Beginner
Verified: 2026-04-04

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