2019 Certification for Cities Harnessing Data to Govern

Bloomberg Philanthropies has announced that seven cities will receive What Works Cities Certifications for their use of data to identify residents’ needs and develop solutions.

The cities—Arlington, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; Louisville, Kentucky; Memphis, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Washington, D.C.—all incorporated data into their decision-making processes, reports Chris Teale:

Cities are evaluated on factors like whether they have dedicated staff that help them use data; if key data are publicly available and whether there is transparency around the goals set and the progress toward achieving them. Cities must also show that they have policies in place to ensure data is managed safely and kept secure.

Scottsdale, for example, is using data analytics to guide water conservation, and Philadelphia is using data to better assess and award city contracts. Kansas City, Louisville, and Washington, D.C., received silver certifications last year and have moved this year to the gold level for their continued progress using data.