Bloomberg Philanthropies Taps 23 New Mayors to Join City Data Alliance, an International Consortium Advancing Municipal Data and AI Use to Improve Lives

In cities with advanced data practices – which includes city leaders using stakeholder engagement, evaluation tools, and performance analytics to inform decision-making – residents report higher satisfaction and well-being than those without. Established in 2022 through a $60 million investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance helps more cities across North, Central, and South America with populations of 100,000 or more reach this advanced data standard to better their communities. The addition of the 23 new cities brings the total number of cities in the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance to 65 across 12 countries.

At the summit June 27 – 28, the mayors will receive keynote instruction and engage with global data leaders from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, as well as mayors and chief data officers from previous City Data Alliance cohorts. They include:

• Governor Wes Moore of the State of Maryland
• Mayor Brandon Scott of Baltimore, Maryland
• Mayor Frank Scott Jr. of Little Rock, Arkansas
• Mayor G.T. Bynum of Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Mayor Daniela Peñaloza of Las Condes, Chile
• Mayor Caio César Machado da Cunha of Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil
• Mayor Gerardo Espíndola Rojas of Arica, Chile
• Mayor Sandra Masters of Regina, Canada
• James Anderson, Government Innovation program Lead, Bloomberg Philanthropies
• Beth Blauer, Associate Vice Provost for Public Sector Innovation at Johns Hopkins University
• Amy Edwards Holmes, Executive Director of the Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University
• Filipe R. Campante, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University
• Jorrit de Jong, Director, Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University; Emma Bloomberg Senior Lecturer in Public Policy and Management, Harvard Kennedy School; and Faculty Co-Chair, Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative
• Mitchell B. Weiss, Richard L. Menschel Professor of Management Practice at the Harvard Business School

“As artificial intelligence rapidly advances, so too does the opportunity for local governments to put it to work for residents’ benefit,” said Amy Holmes, Executive Director of the Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University. “Doing this effectively, however, demands that municipalities have a foundation in place to guide the way data is collected, shared, and utilized through which the promise of new technologies can be harnessed. The Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance—comprised of the most determined data-led mayors across the Americas—brings the sophistication and standards into municipalities so they can leverage every tool available to transform how their governments operate, and we are thrilled to welcome these 23 new cities and support them in all they will be able to do.”

“Cities that are harnessing the extraordinary amount of data out there are better positioned to understand resident needs, source innovative solutions, and lead from the front when it comes to artificial intelligence,” said James Anderson, who leads the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. “The mayors of these 23 cities want to put their municipal governments in the driver’s seat when it comes to leveraging data – and the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance will help them develop the policies and practices to do just that.”

Already, cities’ work as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance has resulted in:

• The creation of a centralized Urban Monitoring Center in Las Condes, Chile which enhanced data collection and sharing across departments to reduce crime and improve public safety. This system, which now supports a new artificial intelligence platform based on deep learning algorithms, has guided the city in where to target patrols, inspections, and surveillance devices, efforts which have led to a decrease in home burglaries and commercial theft by 22% and a reduction of physical assaults by 60%.
• New standards and staff upskilling in collecting and disaggregating data in Jackson, Mississippi is enabling the city to address root causes of crime and homelessness. This has helped the city create targeted programs to reduce youth violence and reach functional zero homelessness.
• The formation of a new dashboard in Recife, Brazil for the more than 800,000 people who rely on frequently out-of-stock prescriptions, including for diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. The platform provides the supply levels of the most in-demand medications citywide and a locator tool so residents can easily identify pharmacies with available stock and get the prescriptions they need.
• A citywide data strategy and hackathons in Chattanooga, Tennessee which led to the launch of an interactive affordable housing tool that connects qualified tenants in-need to low-cost housing options and providers. This helped the city reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness by 40% and place over 3,000 residents in permanent housing. Also supported by the city’s data strategy are new artificial intelligence applications, including a 311 system that uses image detection to route residents’ photo-based issues to the right department and digital twin projects to redesign major roadways, examine mobility-related energy use, and monitor traffic and pedestrian movements to make streets safer.
• A citywide data strategy in Montevideo, Uruguay which underpinned the city’s emergency response to a severe drought crisis. The city’s data strategy enabled the municipality to rapidly assess the situation, identify safe well-water reserves, communicate with residents in real-time, and target the delivery of more than 940,000 liters of water. This included getting over 600,000 liters of water to 4,000 people at the highest risk: pregnant women, infants under six months of age, and those with immunocompromising conditions.

“As part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance, we’ve become an even smarter city focused on delivering results based on Little Rock’s chief priorities and needs,” said Mayor Frank Scott of Little Rock, Arkansas. “Anchored by a citywide strategy, the program has fueled our efforts to use data to make decisions, design initiatives, and build a more transparent government so our residents see a city that works for them. I am thrilled to join Bloomberg Philanthropies in welcoming more mayors to the City Data Alliance, and working as a network of peers to raise the bar in demonstrating what is possible when municipalities harness insight, analytics, and technology to better communities.”

“Being part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance has made Charlotte confident in making informed decisions and creating solutions to produce better outcomes for residents of the Queen City,” said Mayor Vi Lyles of Charlotte, North Carolina. “By deepening our use of data, we’ve been able to effectively deliver on community needs and high impact services, especially in some of our most underserved neighborhoods. Upon joining the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance, I committed to utilizing data for the public good, and I encourage all mayors to do the same.”

“The Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance has provided us with a strategic approach to using and analyzing data that has spurred a digital transformation—resulting in transformative public service delivery that allows us to effectively engage and serve residents,” said Mayor João Campos of Recife, Brazil. “Now, our decisions are based on evidence, our programs are developed with insight, and our implementation is guided by analytics. The result has made our reach broader and impact deeper, able to launch efforts that meet the greatest needs of our communities, as well as create specific efforts for the most vulnerable—getting government to those who depend on it most.”

“Being part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance has been a transformative experience for Arica,” said Mayor Gerardo Alfredo Espíndola Rojas of Arica, Chile. “The program has enabled us to tackle our city’s challenges more effectively by leveraging data-driven strategies across government operations. We are proud to welcome these new mayors into this esteemed collective and look forward to the continued growth and collaboration — for all of our cities and residents’ benefit — the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance will continue to bring.”

The suite of supports provided to cities in the City Data Alliance helps mayors and their municipalities utilize data to inform decisions, tackle complex challenges, communicate results, and look ahead. Participating cities also receive the program’s support to upgrade their approach to artificial intelligence, program evaluation, or data as a service—designing or packaging data that promotes cross-government collaboration or resident engagement.

The Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance is delivered in partnership with the Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence (GovEx) at Johns Hopkins University, along with the Behavioral Insights Team and Public Digital. The City Data Alliance aligns and builds on the success of the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification, led by Results for America, a first-of-its-kind standard of excellence for data-informed, well-managed local government. Further advancing data leadership in cities, in October 2023, Bloomberg Philanthropies and GovEx launched City AI Connect, a global learning community and digital platform for cities to trial and advance the usage of generative artificial intelligence to improve public services, together. Comprised of more than 500 municipal leaders from over 250 cities around the world, City AI Connect is available at no cost for any local government official to use.

For more information on the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance – or to apply – click here.

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. In 2023, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3 billion. For more information, please visit  bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and X.

Media Contact:
Sam Fuld, sam@bloomberg.org