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Which cities have improved their use of data?
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ What Works Cities has recognised 13 new cities in its data excellence programme while 19 have further elevated their data practices.
At a glance
Who: What Works Cities; Results for America; Bloomberg Philanthropies.
What: The Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities data excellence programme has recognised 13 further cities in North, Central and South America while 19 have built on their success by sustaining or elevating their data practices.
Why: It aims to highlight how cities are improving how they use data to invest funds and make decisions, which enables them to target resources where they’re needed the most and respond effectively to community priorities.
When: The programme has been running since 2017.
Thirteen new cities have achieved Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification, while 19 cities have built on their success by sustaining or elevating their data practices.
In the latest cohort of the programme, two cities have achieved Platinum Certification, the highest possible distinction: Glendale, Arizona, and Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Standard for data excellence
The What Works Cities Certification programme was launched in 2017 by Bloomberg Philanthropies and is led by Results for America. It aims to be the international standard of data excellence in city governance. The programme is open to any city in North, Central or South America with a population of 30,000 or more.
Rochelle Haynes, managing director, What Works Cities, Results for America, said in a blog post that the What Works Cities (WWC) Network is demonstrating “a deep and ongoing commitment” to improving how they use data to invest funds and make decisions. This enables them to target resources where they’re needed the most and respond effectively to community priorities.
“The true impact of data happens outside of city hall: we also visit parks, community centres, healthcare facilities and more to connect the dots between data practices and quality of life for residents”
Cambridge and Glendale join only three other Platinum cities, a testament to the sustained, long-term commitment required to embed data practices into every corner of city hall. Haynes said Platinum cities also stand out for their ability to directly tie data practices to tangible benefits for residents in their communities.
“In Cambridge, data has helped the city provide free preschool to more than 790 students," said Haynes. Meanwhile, in Glendale, the city’s strong performance management helps it make progress on goals like reducing blight and increasing the tree canopy to protect residents from the effects of extreme heat.”
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The 13 newly certified cities are maximising data to drive innovation, respond to community challenges and strengthen municipal governance. This cohort of cities is using analytics to tackle public health challenges, improve public safety, increase opportunities for children and strengthen emergency response, to name a few. They are:
Achieved Gold Certification
● Ottawa, Canada
Achieved Silver Certification
● Dayton, Ohio
● Jesús María, Argentina
● Knoxville, Tennessee
● Marinilla, Colombia
● Newport News, Virginia
● Normal, Illinois
● Quito, Ecuador
● Renca, Chile
● Rosario, Argentina
● San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, Argentina
● San Rafael, California
● Santiago de Cali, Colombia.
Over the past few months, the What Works Cities team has visited each of these cities to learn about their data practices in person. “During the trips we have the opportunity to meet with city leadership and individual departments who exemplify the creativity, enthusiasm and dedication that power this work,” said Haynes.
“This is not just about recognition – it is a global movement of dedicated city staff using data to change how local governments deliver for residents”
“However, the true impact of data happens outside of city hall: we also visit parks, community centres, healthcare facilities and more to connect the dots between data practices and quality of life for residents. These experiences bring the What Works Cities Standard to life – showing how practices like data management, community engagement and performance analytics translate to better services and programmes.”
Alongside Cambridge and Glendale, What Works Cities is also recognising seven cities that have moved up a Certification level, from Silver to Gold Certification:
● Dallas, Texas
● Irving, Texas
● Luján de Cuyo, Argentina
● Mendoza, Argentina
● Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
● Sugar Land, Texas
● Tres de Febrero, Argentina.
Ten cities have re-certified:
● Austin, Texas
● Bellevue, Washington
● Denver, Colorado
● Detroit, Michigan
● Evanston, Illinois
● Kansas City, Missouri
● Miami, Florida
● Minneapolis, Minnesota
● Norfolk, Virginia
● Paterson, New Jersey.
These cities highlight that Certification marks a milestone rather than the end of a city’s data journey. As new technologies emerge, best practices evolve and resident expectations rise, cities must always be raising the bar and ensuring continuity of practice.
Alongside free learning opportunities and resources, the WWC Network connects more than 1,800 global leaders to exchange best practices and strengthen their data practices. Cities begin by taking a simple data snapshot to receive an initial assessment of their data practices and join the What Works Cities Network.
“The ongoing engagement of city leaders underscores the broader impact of Certification. This is not just about recognition – it is a global movement of dedicated city staff using data to change how local governments deliver for residents,” wrote Haynes. When local governments base their decisions on data, they are better equipped to confront today’s priorities and tomorrow’s opportunities with confidence.
The stories behind the cities can be read What Works Cities.
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