The What Works Cities Certification standard reflects the practices, policies, and infrastructure municipalities must have in place to effectively harness data for better decision-making. With today's announcement, 104 cities in North, Central, and South America have now achieved the What Works Cities Certification distinction, and 700 cities have submitted assessments since 2017.

"Receiving this Gold Certification highlights Calgary's dedication to leveraging data for our city's betterment and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used effectively," said Mayor Jyoti Gondek. "We are proud to be recognized as a leader in data-driven decision-making, and this achievement underscores our commitment to transparency, efficiency, and innovation in serving Calgarians."

"This recognition is tremendously important for Calgary," said David Duckworth, Chief Administrative Officer, The City of Calgary. "Having a third-party validate that we are the leading Canadian municipality incorporating data into decision-making and policy demonstrates our commitment to acting in the best interest of Calgarians."

The What Works Cities Certification standard measures a city's use of data based on 43 criteria. A city that achieves 51-67 per cent of the 43 criteria is recognized at the Silver level of Certification, 68-84 per cent is required to achieve Gold, and 85 per cent or more is required to reach Platinum.

A notable example of data-driven initiatives that contributed to The City's Gold Certification is the creation of a solar calculator for residents to estimate their energy costs using advanced analytics, light detection and ranging data, and three-dimension building models. This contributed to double the number of solar panels installed in single-family homes in 2023 compared to 2022.

"At a time when people are questioning the role of government, and what good government looks like, governments must be better at using data to know what is and isn't working - and that is what the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification stands for," said Rochelle Haynes, Managing Director of the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification. "Over one hundred cities are now showing what is possible by investing the time, energy, and political capital to shift the culture of how local government works."

"The Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification is one of the largest-ever philanthropic efforts to improve how local governments use data to improve people's lives," said James Anderson, who leads the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. "This work is helping reform-minded mayors across the Americas bring their organizations into the 21st century. Whether to stem housing shortages, reduce traffic fatalities, or improve resident service and responsiveness, these city halls are tapping data, digital, and artificial intelligence to rise to the challenge - and we are thrilled to support their progress."

To learn more about the What Works Cities Certification, visit whatworkscities.bloomberg.org

About the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification:

The What Works Cities Certification program, launched in 2017 by Bloomberg Philanthropies and led by Results for America, is the first-of-its-kind standard of excellence for data-informed, well-managed local government. What Works Cities Certification recognizes and celebrates local governments for their exceptional use of data to inform policy decisions, allocate funding, improve services, evaluate the effectiveness of programs, and engage residents.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies:

Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg's giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world.

About Results for America:

Results for America is helping decision-makers at all levels of government harness evidence and data to make progress on our greatest challenges. Our mission is to make investing in what works the "new normal," so that when policymakers make decisions, they start by seeking the best evidence and data available, then use what they find to get better results. For more information, visit results4america.org.

Members of the What Works Cities team met with Calgary's Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer, along with other City officials during a site visit in August 2024.

From left to right: Kris Allen, Corporate Communications Team Supervisor, City of Calgary; Herman Cardoso, Manager, Data & Analytics, City of Calgary; Katherine Ferguson, Senior Manager, Strategic Communications and Marketing, Results for America; Calgary Mayor Joyti Gondek; David Duckworth, Chief Administrative Officer, City of Calgary; Rochelle Haynes, Managing Director, What Works Cities Certification, Results for America; Alisha Limoges, Associate Director, Certification (US & Canada), Results for America; Alison Muscat, Senior Data Analytics Strategist, City of Calgary.

Officials from The City of Calgary proudly display The City's What Works Cities Gold Certification plaque after discovering Calgary was among the first cities in Canada to be certified and the only Canadian city to receive the gold.

From left to right: David Duckworth, Chief Administrative Officer, City of Calgary; Herman Cardoso, Manager, Data & Analytics, City of Calgary; Calgary Mayor Joyti Gondek.