Carlsblad, Calif., Charleston, S.C. included in latest round of Bloomberg Philanthropies certification for data excellence

There are two new American cities that achieved certification in the latest round of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ What Works Cities Certification, which recognizes communities that are using data exceptionally well throughout local government systems.

The certification identifies well-managed local governments, setting a standard that “enables cities to improve their resiliency, crisis response time, economic mobility, public health, and resident satisfaction,” according to a statement about the awards. Carlsbad, Calif., and Charleston, S.C. along with five other cities in South America received the certification. Notably, a new criteria that embeds equity priorities and better reflects government-wide data integration as opposed to singling out pockets of usage was used this year during the selection process. Cities must also meet at least one of three internationally recognized standards for air pollution, high-speed broadband, or a high-priority outcome the city chooses that aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).

“Under the new criteria, these cities have shown that they’re not just leading with data—they’re using data to make lives better by prioritizing equity and resident wellbeing,” said Rochelle Haynes, managing director of the What Works Cities Certification. “Leaders from the seven cities join hundreds of data champions in our certification community, where they will continue to grow their data practices, share innovative ideas, and inspire communities at all points on their data journey.”

Both Carlsbad and Charlston received silver recognition, which is awarded to cities that achieve 51% to 61% of the 43-item criteria that’s considered for the certification. Carlsbad’s efforts in revamping its remote work policy is noted by the statement, as the initiative saved the city more than $300,000 in office-related costs, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and improved traffic. Charleston was awarded in part because of its FloodStat program, which standardized the way departments track floodwater rescues. The standardization coordinates rescue efforts by giving first responders a centralized data source to work from, improving their emergency response capabilities. 

Along with the new entrants, seven other already certified cities achieved a higher level of certification, and seven more cities were re-certified. Chicago, Ill., Cincinnati, Ohio, Henderson, Nev., San Antonio, Tx., Scottsdale, Ariz., South Bend, Ind. and Syracuse, N.Y. moved from silver to gold level of certification. Arlington, Tx., Cambridge, Mass., Memphis, Tenn., Seattle, Wash., and Washington, D.C. were recertified at the gold level. Bellevue, Wash., and Denver, Colo. recertified at the silver level. 

“The Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification continues to raise the bar for policymakers committed to leveraging data to understand community needs and deliver on resident priorities,” said James Anderson, who leads the government innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies in the statement. “We’re proud to welcome these newly Certified cities into this fast-growing international community and see the use—and impact—of the What Works Cities’ standard of excellence expand and improve lives.”

The What Works Cities Certification program, launched in 2017 by Bloomberg Philanthropies and led by Results for America, is the international standard of data excellence in city governance, according to the statement. The program is open to any city in North, Central or South America with a population of 30,000 or more. To date, 62 cities have achieved the distinction.