Thursday 27 January 2022

City of Vaughan Receives Platinum Certification for Fifth Consecutive Year

   

 (Please visit the following link to view the original release on the City of Vaughan's website) 


January 27, 2022

​City awarded the highest level of certification from the global leader on standardized metrics for the fifth year

The following statement was issued by Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua after a special presentation during the Jan. 25 Council meeting:

"I am pleased to announce the City of Vaughan has been awarded Platinum ISO 37120 certification for 2019 from the World Council on City Data (WCCD). This is the highest level of certification from the WCCD – a global leader on standardized data that helps create smart, sustainable, resilient and prosperous cities. This is the fifth year that Vaughan has received this prestigious recognition, which is a testament to our administration's long-standing commitment to advance a robust and purposeful Smart City agenda. To attain this certification, Vaughan reported 90 key performance indicators (KPIs) used to measure performance on City services and quality of life.

"The WCCD continues to champion the belief that globally comparable data is the essential starting point for innovation, widespread information exchange and Smart City development. Founded in Canada in 2014, the WCCD works to help cities and communities embrace ISO standardized city data that is independently verified and globally comparable to make data-driven decisions.

“In addition to the Platinum ISO 37120 certification, the City of Vaughan has also become an early adopter of ISO 37122 – Indicators for Smart Cities. Once completed, Vaughan will be among the first cities in the world to be certified under this new Smart City standard. 

“Our track record dates back to May 2015, when the City of Vaughan officially became a World Council on City Data Certified City. Vaughan shares a mandate with other innovative municipalities worldwide to build smart, sustainable, inclusive and prosperous cities of the future. In 2018, we established the Mayor’s Smart City Advisory Task Force to focus on creating enhanced opportunities by improving how data is collected, understood and utilized to safeguard and elevate the quality of life for citizens. I am pleased to chair this task force that is working hard to increase economic competitiveness, advance data initiatives, foster innovation, and improve engagement with stakeholders, community groups and citizens. 

“Vaughan continues to seek new and meaningful ways to incorporate Smart City solutions into our ongoing city-building efforts. From improving infrastructure and roads to delivering recreation services and world-class healthcare, I believe that taking a Smart City approach is fundamental to achieving efficient, reliable and innovative city-building.

“I want to offer my sincere congratulations to the City’s Transformation and Strategy department for championing data-driven results through a Smart City mindset and to all members of our administration for their meaningful contributions. Collectively, we are making a positive difference in the lives of our residents, and, together, we will continue to unleash our city’s full potential and build upon Vaughan’s position as a global Smart City leader.”

Wednesday 26 January 2022

WCCD Welcomes Municipality of North Grenville as a WCCD ISO 37120 Platinum Certified City

   

 (Please visit the following link to view the original release on the Municipality of North Grenville's website)  

January 26, 2022

The Municipality of North Grenville has been awarded ISO 37120 Platinum Certification for 2021 by the World Council on City Data (WCCD). The certification was presented to Council virtually during the regular Council meeting on Tuesday, January 25, 2022.

With this accomplishment, North Grenville has achieved the highest level of certification, joining a select group of 100 data-driven cities worldwide including thirty cities across Canada. Through this WCCD ISO certification, North Grenville demonstrates its commitment to harnessing data to drive community-focused service delivery improvements.

“On behalf of Council, we are thrilled that North Grenville has been awarded the highest level of certification from the World Council on City Data. This achievement reflects the significant leadership offered by Municipal CAO Mr. Gary Dyke and his staff team to develop and use world-class standards to drive and measure our service delivery to community members,” highlighted Mayor Nancy Peckford. “In fact, Mr. Dyke may be the only Municipal CAO in Canada to ever lead the certification of two different Municipalities over his career.” 

“As one of the smallest communities globally to obtain WCCD’s ISO 37120 certification, the certification process revealed that the Municipality of North Grenville stands out for its extremely educated workforce, outstanding air quality and generous access to green space,” Mayor Peckford highlighted.

Key data points in which the community excelled across the WCCD Canadian and global network:

  • A highly educated population - North Grenville is a leader in Canada and the world with residents holding, collectively, more than 7,900 post-secondary degrees (48,021 per 100,000 thousand population);

  • A place to be active - With over 719 square metres per capita of outdoor recreation space, North Grenville has twice as much space as any other WCCD certified Canadian cities and ranks 2nd globally; only Reykjavík, Iceland has more outdoor recreation space than North Grenville;

  • Over 14,000 hectares of green space (private and public lands) throughout the municipality (82,427 hectares per 100,000 population) - North Grenville offers ample space for residents and visitors alike to enjoy a cost-effective way of keeping physically active while enjoying the great outdoors;

  • Air quality: North Grenville has better air quality than most other ISSO certified Canadian and International communities including Charlottetown PEI, Corner Brook NFLD, and Vila do Bispo Portugal.

  • Low total water consumption, with only 267 litres per capita used daily – which positions the community as both a leader in Canada and globally.

In her message to North Grenville Council, President and CEO of WCCD, Dr. Patricia McCarney noted:

“The WCCD is so pleased to welcome the Municipality of North Grenville to our Canadian and global network. The commitment of North Grenville to a more data-informed – and data-driven – future is underscored by achieving the highest, Platinum-level of WCCD ISO 37120 certification. Congratulations to Mayor Peckford, Council and the hard-working, dedicated staff led by CAO Gary Dyke, for this exemplary accomplishment.”

Access to WCCD Global Network allows the Municipality of North Grenville to collect, share, and better data to inform decision-making. It can measure the quality of life and service delivery using a common international standard, share local experiences, learn about policies that have the biggest impact, and track progress for the recently adopted Community Strategic Plan.

“The Municipality of North Grenville is consistently working to improve our overall operations through data-driven decision-making - and by leveraging partnerships for collaboration and advocacy to improve the lives of our residents. By receiving our ISO 37120 Platinum-level certification, we are becoming a leading municipality that will advance Council’s priorities and continue to make North Grenville a great place to live,” said CAO Gary Dyke.

For more information on the WCCD and the Platinum ISO 37120 certification, visit www.dataforcities.org.