Wednesday, 19 October 2016

What key issue is missing from the New Urban Agenda?

   
As part of the continuing Citiscope series on the New Urban Agenda, WCCD President and CEO expands upon what she see's as the key element missing from the document.

 "Although the New Urban Agenda briefly mentions strengthening the data and statistical capacity of sub-national and local governments, it does not directly address the critical importance of data in achieving viable development goals or how a lack of reliable, comparative data has been a stumbling block for cities in the past. Worldwide, city governments are making efforts to address the complex challenges of inequality, climate change and infrastructure deficits, while attempting to chart a course to a sustainable, smart, resilient, prosperous and inclusive future for their citizens. However, without high-quality, standardized, city data to guide problem solving and decision making, these risks cannot be fully addressed. The World Council on City Data firmly believes that ISO 37120 can address this critical data deficit. Data is absolutely fundamental for citizens and governments to create transformative change. While statistics are gathered by national governments and international agencies, there are enormous gaps in comparable city-level data. Where urban indicators do exist, they are not standardized, consistent or comparable over time or across cities. Too often, municipal officials lack the capacity to implement local data strategies, and data is not accessible or usable by citizens seeking to participate in city building or to hold their leaders to account." 
— Patricia McCarney, President & CEO, World Council on City Data

Read the full article here

Tuesday, 18 October 2016

What is the most innovative, transformational idea in the New Urban Agenda?

   
As part of an ongoing series by Citiscope in the margins of Habitat III, the WCCD President and CEO, Dr. Patricia McCarney, weighed in on what she views as the most transformational aspect of the proposed New Urban Agenda. 
"One of the most critical aspects of the New Urban Agenda is that it situates cities as essential in combating various global issues such as poverty and hunger, reducing inequality, empowering women and girls, improving health and well-being, fostering resilience and protecting the environment. Like many of my colleagues from around the world, I firmly believe that the global struggle for sustainable development will be a battle largely waged in cities, where two-thirds of the global population will reside by 2050. From the perspective of the World Council on City Data (WCCD) — which is helping to create sustainable cities worldwide through ISO 37120, the first international standard for sustainable cities — the fact that the New Urban Agenda raises the need to harness data and statistical capacities as a means of implementation is an idea with the potential to be globally transformative. I believe that the challenge of creating a more sustainable world — and specifically more sustainable cities — will hinge on the availability of high-quality, standardized and comparable city data for cities to plan, invest, measure progress and learn from other cities globally through accurate benchmarks and high-caliber data analysis." 


Photo credit: Citiscope 

Sunday, 16 October 2016

WCCD Foundation City Report #3: Boston, USA

   
#DATAFORCITIES  is a 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.

Every week – and starting with the WCCD Foundation Cities for the next twenty weeks - a WCCD City will be profiled  with a short, 3 page snapshot and promoted throughout the week with innovative visualisations across Twitter (#dataforcities), Facebook and LinkedIn. 

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

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




Friday, 7 October 2016

WCCD Foundation City Report #2: Melbourne LGA, Australia

   
#DATAFORCITIES  is a 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.

Every week – and starting with the WCCD Foundation Cities for the next twenty weeks - a WCCD City will be profiled  with a short, 3 page snapshot and promoted throughout the week with innovative visualisations across Twitter (#dataforcities), Facebook and LinkedIn. 

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

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

For new subscribers, please feel free to sign up here!


Friday, 30 September 2016

WCCD Foundation City Report #1: London, UK

   
#DATAFORCITIES  is a 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.

Every week – and starting with the WCCD Foundation Cities* for the next twenty weeks - a WCCD City will be profiled  with a short, 3 page snapshot and promoted throughout the week with innovative visualisations across Twitter (#dataforcities), Facebook and LinkedIn. 

A fully shareable PDF of the profile can be found here. 

For new subscribers, please feel free to sign up here! 





Thursday, 22 September 2016

World Council on City Data and Philips Lighting embark on Foundation Partnership to promote improved energy efficiency in cities

   

Philips Lighting and the World Council on City Data (WCCD) have established a Foundation Partnership, providing a platform to demonstrate the enormous potential for cities to raise economic performance and capture significant environmental and social benefits through improved energy efficiency.

The partnership agreement was signed on stage at the opening of Climate Week NYC 2016 by Eric Rondolat, CEO, Philips Lighting and Patricia McCarney, WCCD President and CEO.

This Foundation Partnership will promote the role that ISO-standardized city data can play in driving the rapid market adoption of high-efficiency energy solutions, which will be critical if cities around the world are to achieve their ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. For example, a global transformation to LED-based lighting would reduce global electricity consumption for lighting by more than 45% and avoid 660 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.

An initial priority of the partnership will be to work together to identify priority indicators for city-level energy efficiency and public lighting performance and testing these indicators in collaboration with leading cities in the WCCD network.

WCCD and Philips Lighting will also collaborate on a number of international events in 2016-17, including the WCCD Global Cities Summit in Dubai, encouraging a global dialogue on how ISO standardized city data demonstrate the diverse range of benefits for cities in pursuing smart and sustainable energy and lighting solutions.

Harry Verhaar, Head Public and Government Affairs at Philips Lighting said: “As cities hold the key to achieving the Paris climate goals, the need for data to support progress in cities has never been greater. We are pleased to join hands with the World Council on City Data to help cities as they strive towards a resilient, low-carbon future. Energy efficient LED lighting plays an important role in reducing energy bills and carbon emissions while improving cities safety and livability."

Dr. Patricia McCarney, President and CEO of the WCCD also expressed her views on the exciting potential for the new Foundation Partnership between the two organizations. “For a number of years now, Phillips Lighting has been a key supporter in the work that culminated in the WCCD’s ISO 37120 standard. Their keen insight in the realm of energy efficiency will play a pivotal role in moving forward the WCCD’s goal of creating the smart, sustainable, resilient, prosperous and inclusive cities of tomorrow.”

For more information, please contact:

James Patava (WCCD)
+14169662368 –
 james.patava@globalcities.ca

Notes to Editors:

The World Council on City Data (WCCD) (www.dataforcities.org) coordinates all efforts on open city data to ensure a consistent and comprehensive platform for standardized urban metrics. As a global leader on standardized indicators, the WCCD is also leading the efforts on global implementation of ISO 37120 – the first international standard on sustainable cities. The WCCD has created the first certification system and Global Cities Registry™ for ISO 37120.  WCCD Certification and Registration for ISO 37120 enables cities to participate in the WCCD Open Data Portal for comparative data analytics and informed decision making. The WCCD is a global hub for creative learning partnerships across cities, international organizations, corporate partners, and academia to further innovation, envision alternative futures, and build better and more livable cities. 

Tuesday, 2 August 2016

WCCD Cities Rank in Top 10 of EIU's Global Liveability Ranking 2016

   
Melbourne scores 97.5 out of 100 and ranks first.

Toronto scores 97.2 out of 100 and ranks fourth.

With such a small difference between Melbourne and Toronto, the WCCD uses ISO 37120 data to understand the results

Last week, three World Council on City Data (WCCD) Foundation Cities were included in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Global Liveability Ranking 2016, which according to the EIU “provides scores for lifestyle challenges in 140 cities worldwide.” Toronto, Melbourne and Helsinki, all ISO certified by the WCCD, ranked in the Top 10 of the well-publicised international city ranking. According to the annual index, Melbourne ranked as the number one city on the list with a score of 97.5 out of a possible 100, with Toronto coming in fourth place at 97.2. 

Toronto and Melbourne have always been regarded by leaders from both cities as close peer cities for comparative learning. With such a narrow difference between top-placed Melbourne and fourth placed Toronto, the WCCD has taken a closer look at what might account for the .3 difference and how liveability scores play out across WCCD ISO certified city data.




What does the WCCD ISO 37120 data tell us?

As a complement to the EIU’s Liveability Ranking, the WCCD has taken a closer look at what exactly separates Toronto and Melbourne, leveraging high-calibre, globally standardised data that conforms to ISO 37120 that both cities have reported to the WCCD on an annual basis.

Toronto and Melbourne are very closely matched across a number of ISO 37120 indicators related to city services and quality of life. Generally speaking, Toronto performs better on safety, and Melbourne performs better on jobs. However, quality of life indicators for both cities are remarkably similar.

Melbourne performs better than Toronto on Jobs:
· 
Jobs - Melbourne has 5% unemployment compared to Toronto with 9.5% and for youth unemployment Melbourne has 7.8% vs Toronto with 21.6 %

Toronto performs better than Melbourne on Safety and Shelter:

Safety - on safety indicators such as number of homicides (Toronto has 2.1 homicides per 100 000 vs. Melbourne at 8.18 per 100 000) and violent crime (Toronto has 986.9 per 100 000 vs Melbourne’s 2849.26), this despite the fact that Melbourne has a higher number of police officers than Toronto (253.8 vs 195.7 per 100 000)

Homeless - Toronto has fewer homeless people than Melbourne (395 vs 197 per 100 000 population)

Otherwise Toronto and Melbourne are closely matched

Both cities focus extensively on access to green space and planting trees - both cities provide similar green space for residents, critical for health and wellbeing (451.93 hectares for Melbourne and 445.67 for Toronto). Toronto has a higher number of trees planted with 3373 per 100 000 population compared to Melbourne’s 2640.68 per 100 000 population

Quality of education – a key measure of economic performance – is quite similar in both cities, through the lens of primary education student/teacher ratio, secondary school completion, number of higher education degrees.

On air quality (as measured by PM 2.5 - particulate matter in the air) both cities record similar air quality numbers: 7.4Цg/m3 for Melbourne and 8.96 Цg/m3 for Toronto.

Both cities have similar life expectancy: 83.5 in Melbourne and 83 in Toronto

In terms of gender representation in governance, Toronto slightly outperforms with 41.7% female elected officials, with Melbourne at 36.4%

What is the EIU Global Liveability Ranking? What is the WCCD ISO 37120 Data for Cities Initiative?

The EIU’s liveability survey includes 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five categories which include: stability; healthcare; culture and environment; education; and infrastructure. For qualitative factors (which are the majority), each city is assigned a rating by a group of EIU analysts and in-city contributors, with each factor rated as acceptable, tolerable, uncomfortable, undesirable, or intolerable. Unlike the EIU survey which relies on subjective assessment by experts, WCCD’s ISO 37120 indicators are solely data-driven and independently verified, as well as globally standardized – allowing for apples to apples comparisons. Both Melbourne and Toronto have been ISO certified by the WCCD, based on reporting data in conformity with ISO 37120 – the first international standard on city data. 

 Other contrasting features: while the EIU draws on qualitative measures, the WCCD uses only numeric measures; while the EIU data and methodologies are not open to the public, the WCCD data is reported on an open data portal www.dataforcities.org; within the EIU’s methodology, it is unclear as to which geographic boundaries are used to demarcate each city - WCCD cities are defined according to official administrative jurisdictional boundaries—for example, for the City of Melbourne this means the area of 37.7km2 within the municipal boundaries rather than the larger urban area that may be commonly referred to as “Greater Melbourne”.


For more comparative data on over 25 cities from around the world, visit the WCCD homepage at www.dataforcities.org.

For more updates from the WCCD, please sign up to our mailing list here, and don’t forget to follow the WCCD on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.