What Works Cities Initiative Now Partnering with Ninety-Five Cities

Five new cities using data and evidence to address challenges from public safety to poverty reduction

NEW YORK, October 31, 2017 – Today, Results for America announced that five new cities have been selected to join What Works Cities: Athens, GA; Chula Vista, CA; Colorado Springs, CO; Gainesville, FL; and Palmdale, CA. Results for America is the campaign manager for Bloomberg Philanthropies’ What Works Cities (WWC) initiative, the largest philanthropic effort to improve the effectiveness of local governments by enhancing their use of data and evidence.  As of today, the initiative is partnering with 95 U.S. cities that are home to more than 29 million people in 37 states and have annual budgets exceeding $98 billion.

“Moving the needle on city challenges requires knowing what to measure and how – then acting on what you find,” said Simone Brody, Executive Director of WWC at Results for America. “By teaching cities how to put data at the core of their decision-making, we’re equipping them with the tools to best solve local challenges and serve their communities.”

WWC’s expert partners help cities develop and enhance their data-driven skills in performance analytics, data management, randomized control trials, results-driven contracting and more. As staff build capacity to use the tools through WWC’s technical assistance, they can apply what they learn toward the city’s ongoing problem-solving and decision-making process.

Planned projects in the five new cities include:

• Athens, GA, will use performance analytics to measure and communicate progress on economic prosperity goals.
• Chula Vista, CA, will use data to improve public safety outcomes, and increase transparency by sharing key public safety data with residents.
• Colorado Springs, CO, will use performance analytics to measure progress on its strategic plan goals, beginning with local infrastructure investments. The City will also develop an open data policy and explore opportunities for residents to use municipal data.
• Gainesville, FL, will apply best practices in data management and performance analytics toward transportation and business lifecycle improvements, part of a partnership announced earlier this year with the University of Florida that aims to transform Gainesville into a “new American city.”
• Palmdale, CA, will use data to further its recreation and culture goals, and create an open data policy to target sharing data with the public.

The new cities will also join WWC’s extensive learning network of local leaders and global experts actively sharing best practices for outcomes-focused government.

The current participants in WWC are: Albuquerque, NM; Anchorage, AK; Arlington, TX; Athens, GA; Augusta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Baton Rouge, LA; Birmingham, AL; Boise, ID; Boulder, CO; Buffalo, NY; Bellevue, WA; Boston, MA; Cambridge, MA; Cape Coral, FL; Cary, NC; Charleston, SC; Chattanooga, TN; Charlotte, NC; Chula Vista, CA; Colorado Springs, CO; Corona, CA; Denton, TX; Denver, CO; Des Moines, IA; Downey, CA; Durham, NC; Fargo, ND; Fayetteville, NC; Fort Collins, CO; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Fort Worth, TX; Gainesville, FL; Gilbert, AZ; Glendale, AZ; Greensboro, NC; Gresham, OR; Hartford, CT; Hayward, CA; Independence, MO; Indianapolis, IN; Jackson, MS; Kansas City, KS; Kansas City, MO; Knoxville, TN; Laredo, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Lewisville, TX; Lexington, KY; Lincoln, NE; Little Rock, AR; Louisville, KY; Madison, WI; Memphis, TN; Mesa, AZ; Miami, FL; Milwaukee, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Modesto, CA; Naperville, IL; Nashville, TN; New Haven, CT; New Orleans, LA; Norfolk, VA; Oklahoma City, OK; Olathe, KS; Orlando, FL; Palmdale, CA; Portland, OR; Providence, RI; Raleigh, NC; Rancho Cucamonga, CA; Riverside, CA; Salinas, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; San Francisco, CA; San Jose, CA; Seattle, WA; Scottsdale, AZ; Saint Paul, MN; Sioux Falls, SD; South Bend, IN; Syracuse, NY; Tacoma, WA; Tempe, AZ; Topeka, KS; Tulsa, OK; Tyler, TX; Victorville, CA; Virginia Beach, VA; Waco, TX; Washington, DC; West Palm Beach, FL; Wichita, KS; and Winston-Salem, NC.

About What Works Cities:
What Work Cities, launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies in April 2015, is one of the largest-ever philanthropic efforts to enhance cities’ use of data and evidence. Through the initiative’s expert partners, cities around the country are receiving support, guidance and resources to succeed. In 2016, What Works Cities was named by Forbes as “one of the ten most promising philanthropic bets” of the year and by Engaging Local Government Leaders as the “most important company operating in the local government arena.” In March 2017, the initiative launched What Works Cities Certification, the first-ever national standard for data-driven governance. The report “What Works Cities: How Local Governments Are Changing Lives” summarizes cities’ accomplishments with the initiative. For more information, visit whatworkscities.org.

About Results for America:
Results for America is helping decision-makers at all levels of government harness evidence and data to make progress on great challenges. The organization’s 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.

Contact:
Results for America/What Works Cities, Sharman Stein, (914) 522-4102, [email protected]