The What Works Cities certification program values the cities that have managed the best “data”
Providing excellent services to citizens, implementing transparent governance, and adopting emerging technologies that can increase the inhabitants’ quality of life are essential elements to be considered a smart city. However, these objectives can only be achieved through a reasonable use of data. From this awareness was born the “What Works Cities” certification developed by Bloomberg Philanthropies in collaboration with Results for America.
Established in 2017, this rating aims to increase the development and capacities of the larger cities (over 30 thousand inhabitants) in the use of data and their management. Data refers to the enormous amount of input that allows for the improvement of territorial policies, information decision-makers, allocation funding, improvement services fairly, management access to the PA remotely, and analysis of the actual state of an urban community to be able to outline a future route.
How to certify intelligent data usage
The What Works Cities certification is exclusively aimed at the American territory, Latin America, and Canada. In just seven years, 200 cities have applied to be evaluated by Bloomberg Philanthropies, and 83 have received the recognition.
The work carried out by this system of data-based evaluation of cities goes beyond simple certification because it creates a network, a synergy between the participants, who have the opportunity to share successful projects or the criticalities to overcome.
“From the pioneering use of data to the adoption of emerging technologies to the expansion of digital infrastructure, this new list of certified cities demonstrates what can be done when municipalities raise the level,” says James Anderson, who heads the government innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Implementing the data collection and analysis system enables mayors and administrators to understand community problems, plan evidence-based development programmes, and manage results that improve citizens’ quality of life. For Bloomberg Philanthropies, being a smart city that has the potential to obtain the What Works Cities certification means meeting 43 rating criteria. If the city reaches 57%-67% of these numerous entries a Silver certification is ensured, while at least 68-84% of entries for the Gold level are required. Finally, you enter the Platinum with a rating above 85%.
The best solutions for increasingly smart cities
While talking about data may seem vague, in fact, the projects related to this world are very concrete. Among the solutions awarded by the certification, for example, many relate to reducing water consumption through a program that will improve access to water, address supply problems, and meet the demand of the growing population. Several other experiments have improved the equity of city governance, increasing funding to address inequality problems.
Surveillance services, video analytics, card readers, SOS buttons and drones have reduced crime and increased the perception of security.
We then move to use AI-managed data with a waste management program that, through mapping 1,500 tags, has identified sites of micro-deposits, reduced the environmental impact, and concentrated the recovery efforts for 19 neighbourhoods, improving the quality of life of 2,000 families.
The build-up also benefits, as in the case of a program launched in Texas that analyzed the quality of housing and the degree of obsolescence to support a rehabilitation project that provided more than $2.7 million in investments to residents to renovate over 166 houses.