Data Nashville

What Data Nashville MCP server does

Data Nashville provides MCP access to Nashville public datasets backed by data.nashville.gov and ArcGIS REST services. Its main use is retrieving structured records such as recent crime data and Nashville 311 service requests, while also supporting broader exploration of available ArcGIS services and layers.

The integration is unofficial and independent of the upstream data provider. Results can be used directly by MCP-compatible clients or through the gateway's HTTP tool interface.

How it works

The hosted endpoint is available at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/data-nashville/mcp. An MCP client can connect to that URL and invoke the Nashville-specific tools. The endpoint also exposes shared Pipeworx gateway tools, including routing and discovery functions, so its complete tool list is broader than the three Nashville tools.

A local npm package, @pipeworx/mcp-data-nashville, provides a stdio bridge. The client starts the package with npx, and the bridge sends requests to the same hosted endpoint. It requires network access and has no offline mode.

Requests can also be sent over HTTP to the gateway's tool API. Anonymous use is available for initial calls, with a daily limit; a Pipeworx account and API key provide a higher daily allowance.

Setup and configuration

For a hosted MCP connection, add the endpoint to the client's MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "data-nashville": {
      "url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/data-nashville/mcp"
    }
  }
}

For local stdio use, configure npx with the package name:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "data-nashville": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@pipeworx/mcp-data-nashville"]
    }
  }
}

Set PIPEWORX_API_KEY in the stdio server environment to authenticate with a Pipeworx key. Anonymous calls are capped at 50 per day, while a free account raises the limit to 200 per day. Set PIPEWORX_META_TOOLS=1 if the local bridge should list shared gateway tools such as ask_pipeworx; otherwise, it lists the Nashville pack's tools by default.

Tools and capabilities

• nashville_recent retrieves newest-first records from the common crime and 311 datasets. It accepts an ArcGIS where filter, and converts epoch date values to ISO-formatted dates.
• nashville_layers lists layers for a known short service name, a full ArcGIS service path, or the known Nashville services when no service is supplied. Its layer IDs and names support follow-up queries.
• nashville_query targets any Nashville ArcGIS layer by service path and layer ID. It supports ArcGIS query parameters including where, out_fields, order_by, and limit, and converts epoch dates to ISO format.

Limitations and notes

The stdio bridge depends on network connectivity to the Pipeworx gateway. The scoped hosted endpoint includes shared gateway meta-tools in addition to the Nashville tools, and the exact combined scope is returned during MCP initialization. Behind an HTTPS proxy, Node's built-in fetch may require NODE_USE_ENV_PROXY=1 on Node versions that support that setting.