A new Deloitte report charts the rise of data-driven cities in the US since 2015. The survey found a huge increase in the percentage of cities using data-related strategies, for example, using data analysis to modify programs.
More from the report:
In addition to the four categories identified above, cities continue to improve on other foundational data practices such as: evaluation (from 27% to 45%) and stakeholder engagement (from 37% to 63%). In Longmont, CO and Seattle, WA, for example, city leaders used rapid evaluation trials to determine the most effective way to increase enrollment in city utilities rebate and discount programs so that more income-eligible residents could benefit from the savings. And in Buffalo, NY, the City offers its residents a citizen-focused data academy that introduces enrollees to data fundamentals, teaches them how to use datasets published to the city’s open data portal to benefit their communities, and equips them with analytic and technical data skills. These skills can bolster residents’ efforts to create a higher quality of life in their communities, from helping to strengthen neighborhood improvement grant applications to simply developing a better understanding of how the city is operating