Dallas is proud to announce that Results for America has awarded it Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification for establishing exceptional data capabilities to inform policy, allocate funding, improve services, evaluate programs, and engage residents. The What Works Cities Certification standard reflects the practices, policies, and infrastructure municipalities must have in place to effectively harness data for better decision-making.<\/p>\n
\u201cDallas is honored to be recognized with the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Gold Certification for our exceptional use of data,\u201d said Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson.<\/strong> \u201cThroughout my Administration, I have prioritized data-driven decision-making, and that commitment is yielding tangible results. By investing in strong data foundations, Dallas is building a smarter city government and delivering more efficient services to our residents,\u201d said Johnson.<\/p>\n \u201cThe City of Dallas is committed to being a data-driven city, and this recognition affirms our progress in that mission,\u201d said Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert<\/strong>. \u201cWe continue to leverage data as a strategic asset to improve city services, enhance transparency, and deliver better outcomes for our residents. Artificial intelligence and advanced analytics are key components of our strategy \u2014 enabling us to make smarter business decisions, address public safety needs, and ensure that residents benefit from a more responsive, innovative city government,\u201d said Tolbert.<\/p>\n Dallas is expanding its use of AI to improve city services and public safety. Current projects include AI-assisted fire risk modeling, human trafficking detection, and code compliance automation. Next, the City plans to deploy AI-powered cameras and drones to monitor parks and trails to identify flooding, debris, and disruptive behavior in real time. These efforts reflect Dallas\u2019 commitment to using data and innovation to make neighborhoods safer, services smarter, and operations more responsive.<\/p>\n The What Works Cities Certification program, launched in 2017 by Bloomberg Philanthropies and led by Results for America, is the international standard of data excellence in city governance. The Standard measures a city\u2019s use of data based on 43 criteria. A city that achieves 51\u201367% of the 43 criteria is recognized at the Silver level of Certification, 68\u201384% is required to achieve Gold, and 85% or more is required to reach Platinum. The program is open to any city in North, Central, or South America with a population of 30,000 or more.<\/p>\n \u201cThe cities recognized by Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification exemplify what is possible when city leaders commit to data-driven governance: real results for residents,\u201d said Rochelle Haynes, Managing Director of Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities.<\/strong> \u201cBy pursuing Certification or advancing to a higher level of recognition, cities are demonstrating and strengthening their dedication to using data to drive progress and deliver better outcomes. While Certified cities are investing in their data capacity to solve today\u2019s issues, they are also building sustainable practices that set the stage for a more resilient and innovative future.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification is one of the largest-ever philanthropic efforts to improve how local governments use data to improve people\u2019s lives,\u201d said James Anderson, who leads the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies.<\/strong> \u201cThis work is helping reform-minded mayors across the Americas bring their organizations into the 21st century. Whether to stem housing shortages, reduce traffic fatalities, or improve resident service and responsiveness, city halls are tapping data, digital, and artificial intelligence to rise to the challenge \u2013 and we are thrilled to support their progress.\u201d<\/p>\n Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg\u2019s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2024, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3.7 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and X.<\/p>\n Results for America is helping decision-makers at all levels of government harness evidence and data to make progress on our greatest challenges. Our mission is to make investing in what works the \u201cnew normal,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n In conclusion, the What Works Cities Certification is a prestigious recognition of a city\u2019s commitment to using data to drive progress and deliver better outcomes for its residents. Dallas\u2019 achievement of the Gold Certification level is a testament to the city\u2019s dedication to data-driven decision-making and its efforts to build a smarter, more responsive government.<\/p>\n A: The What Works Cities Certification is a standard of excellence for data-informed, well-managed local government. It recognizes and celebrates local governments for their exceptional use of data to inform policy decisions, allocate funding, improve services, evaluate the effectiveness of programs, and engage residents.<\/p>\n A: A city achieves What Works Cities Certification by meeting the Standard\u2019s 43 criteria, which measure a city\u2019s use of data. The city must achieve 51\u201367% of the criteria for Silver Certification, 68\u201384% for Gold, and 85% or more for Platinum.<\/p>\n A: The benefits of What Works Cities Certification include recognition of a city\u2019s commitment to data-driven governance, improved decision-making, and better outcomes for residents. Certified cities also build sustainable practices that set the stage for a more resilient and innovative future.<\/p>\n A: You can learn more about the What Works Cities Certification by visiting whatworkscities.bloomberg.org.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What Works Cities Certification More than 100 cities have achieved What Works Cities Certification distinction since the program\u2019s launch in 2017. Dallas moves up to Gold Certification level Introduction to What Works Cities Certification Dallas is proud to announce that Results for America has awarded it Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification for establishing exceptional […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":20527,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-20525","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dallascitynews.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/What-Works-Cities-Certification-scaled.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20525"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20525"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20525\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20528,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20525\/revisions\/20528"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Use of AI in City Services<\/h2>\n
What Works Cities Certification Program<\/h2>\n
Benefits of Certification<\/h3>\n
About Bloomberg Philanthropies and Results for America<\/h2>\n
About Bloomberg Philanthropies<\/h3>\n
About Results for America<\/h3>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n
Q: What is the What Works Cities Certification?<\/h3>\n
Q: How does a city achieve What Works Cities Certification?<\/h3>\n
Q: What are the benefits of What Works Cities Certification?<\/h3>\n
Q: How can I learn more about the What Works Cities Certification?<\/h3>\n