Friday 26 July 2019

Government of Canada and WCCD launch Data for Canadian Cities Pilot Project

   
For Immediate Release
July 26, 2019
Toronto, Canada

 Today, speaking at the World Council on City Data (WCCD) offices in Toronto, Member of the Canadian Parliament Adam Vaughan announced the “Data for Canadian Cities Pilot Project.” Alongside WCCD President & CEO, Dr. Patricia McCarney, Mr. Vaughan detailed how this new, three-year initiative will support the WCCD to work with fifteen municipalities across Canada.

“It’s a pleasure to be here on behalf of Canada’s Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne,” stated Mr. Vaughan. “Today, we mark another important step in giving communities across the country the tools they need to build a better Canada. The Data for Canadian Cities Pilot Project will enable the WCCD to work with 15 municipalities across Canada to help collect a globally standardized data set that measures the quality of life and delivery of city services at the municipal level. ”
Adam Vaughan MP, and Patricia McCarney, WCCD President & CEO at the launch of the Data for Canadian Cities Pilot Project. 
“While the WCCD is a truly global organization, our roots are here in Canada. It is our hope that this Initiative will benefit Canadians across the country, and also serve as a global demonstration of Canada’s commitment to data-driven, evidence-based, decision making,” said Dr. McCarney. “Working with Canadian municipalities, and all levels of government across Canada – the WCCD will continue to work nationally – and globally – to help create the smart, sustainable, resilient, prosperous and inclusive cities and communities of the future. We look forward to working with Minister Champagne, the Government of Canada and municipalities across the country.”

 The WCCD is already working with 100 cities across 38 countries, including fifteen Canadian cities. This new cohort of 15 cities will join a group of cities across the country who have embraced ISO 37120 – the first international standard on city data - and have been essential in building this high calibre, globally comparable and independently verified city-level data. This Initiative with the Department of Infrastructure and Communities - and the doubling of the number of Canadian cities within the WCCD global network - showcases Canada as leading globally in demonstrating an unparalleled dedication to building a culture of data and making Canadian cities and communities even more robust, liveable and prosperous.

 For more information, please contact:


James Patava
Vice President
World Council on City Data
416-966-2368
james.patava@globalcities.ca

Friday 19 July 2019

WCCD & OECD Launch New Partnership in New York - Supporting Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Cities Worldwide

   

July 19, 2019
New York, New York

On July 18th, at the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations, the WCCD President and CEO, Dr. Patricia McCarney, and the OECD Deputy Secretary-General, Mr. Masamichi Kono launched a new partnership between the two organizations. The event was hosted by Ambassador Louise Blais, Deputy Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations with special responsibility for Agenda 2030 and Development.

From L to R: Ms. Catherine Adam, Senior ADM, Employment and Social Development Canada, Head of Canadian Delegation; Dr. Patricia McCarney, WCCD President &CEO; Mr. Masamichi Kono, Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD

This WCCD-OECD partnership is born out of a shared recognition of the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but moreover, a very critical recognition of the need to effectively localize the Goals if the targets are to be achieved by 2030.  The success of each of the 17 SDGs rests with cities and regions where these goals and targets are truly being operationalized. City leaders, city planners, city designers, developers, city budget chiefs, mayors and citizens alike are on the front line of sustainability agendas and are operationalizing these goals “on the street” each and every day. Cities are leading – both in localizing the goals and in operationalizing them.

According to Mr. Kono: “Partnerships are key to deliver on the SDGs. This is particularly important for measuring progress, where several institutions are already working and developing indicators for SDGs. This is why we decided to join forces with the World Council on City Data, to better support cities - in OECD countries and beyond – to monitor progress on SDGs, to use data as a tool for policy dialogue and, ultimately, to improve their policies.”

The central need for high calibre and globally comparable data to measure progress on the SDGs and drive informed investment and policy to ensure the 2030 Agenda is within reach is a shared vision of the WCCD and OECD and a core value in this new partnership announced today in New York.  City and regional-level data to drive this progress is the starting point for the concrete next steps for which the partners are planning. With just ten years to reach the SDG targets, partnerships like this one, designed to support localizing and operationalizing the SDGs in cities, are vital to success.  

“From SDG localization, to driving public and private investment in cities worldwide, the WCCD-OECD partnership is truly a win-win,” stated Dr. McCarney. “ While our partnership initially focuses on the 2030 Agenda to localize and operationalize the SDGs in city halls across the world, it is even more ambitious. This WCCD-OECD partnership will be based on the centrality and importance of high-calibre, globally comparable and harmonised city-level data to support smart, sustainable and resilient city development worldwide.” 


From L to R: Ms. Catherine Adam, Senior ADM, Employment and Social Development Canada, Head of Canadian Delegation; Dr. Patricia McCarney, WCCD President &CEO; Ambassador Louise Blais, Deputy Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations with special responsibility for Agenda 2030 and Development

The WCCD-OECD partnership event also served as an opportunity to launch the City of Los Angeles’ “Voluntary Local Review.” Since 2014, the WCCD has been proud to count the City of Los Angeles as a  Foundation City of the WCCD  Earlier in 2018, the WCCD released it’s publication: “WCCD City Data for the Sustainable Development Goals 2018” with LA Deputy Mayor Miguel Sangalang. Los Angeles is a city that has truly embraced a culture of data and achieved the highest level of the WCCD ISO 37120 Cerficiation – Platinum and continues to embrace data as an essential element in its leadership.

For more information:

Please contact

James Patava
James.patava@globalcities.ca

Wednesday 10 July 2019

#DATAFORCITIES - Celebrating Kópavogur, Iceland

   
#DATAFORCITIES  is a bi-weekly publication of the WCCD that highlights a data point from each of the WCCD Cities – and, more importantly, shows how each city is harnessing standardized data to build the sustainable, prosperous, smart, resilient and inclusive cities of tomorrow.

Follow the WCCD across all of our social media channels to learn more about each city profiled! 

Every week a WCCD City will be profiled with a short, 3-page snapshot and promoted throughout the week with innovative visualizations across Twitter (#dataforcities),
Facebook and LinkedIn. 

A fully downloadable and shareable PDF of this profile can be found here. 

Previous reports can be found in the News and Updates section of the WCCD website.