San Nicolás, Argentina

San Nicolás Uses Data and New Digital Infrastructure to Increase Access to Quality Health Care

Project Type:
Health and Wellbeing, Technology

At a Glance

Transformed health services to be data-driven and digitized, reducing emergency response time from nine minutes to three minutes to improve health outcomes for residents.

Used resident feedback to simplify and digitize the business application process, increasing the number of businesses authorized annually to 650 in 2023 – up from 316 in 2018.

The digital Single Citizen Service Center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for complaints and questions about city services. It allows the municipal government to track resident satisfaction and evaluate the response time for complaints.

Undertook a digital transformation of city services beginning in January 2023. Now, renewing a driver’s license can be done completely online and takes a maximum of 90 minutes rather than two days.

For years, residents of San Nicolás without private insurance relied on 28 public health centers, scattered unevenly across the city, that offer neither comprehensive services nor weekend care, leaving families with limited options. Without the freedom to choose the right doctor or access treatment nearby, residents faced significant barriers to essential health care.

But change is underway. San Nicolás is transforming its health care system, using data, technology and new infrastructure, to make quality medical care more accessible to all.

In 2023, the City introduced Seguro Medico Municipal, a groundbreaking health voucher system designed to empower uninsured residents. This program allows individuals to choose care at public or participating private health care facilities, which gives residents more options for high-quality service closer to home. More than 40,000 of the city’s 165,000 residents participate in the voucher program, with eligibility regularly reassessed to prioritize resources for those most in need. Additionally, the City links the vouchers to residents’ National Identity Documents, ensuring accurate tracking of medical information while preventing fraud.

The City is also building three hospitals and decided on the locations for these hospitals using disaggregated data on residents’ demographics, income and health needs, with the goal of allowing residents to choose facilities based on preference rather than necessity.

Photo Courtesy of Sanatorio GO San Nicolás

The first of these, GO Sanatorio San Nicolás, opened in 2024 and has already delivered over 216,000 medical services. This hospital represents Argentina’s first public-private partnership in health care, with the municipality supplying the building while a private medical group oversees operations, staffing and cutting-edge equipment. Officials plan to replace the smaller, less efficient public health centers with the larger hospitals, creating a streamlined, centralized system.

The City has also embraced digital innovation to improve health care delivery. A virtual queuing system has reduced in-person wait times by allowing patients to join lines remotely. Digital appointment reminders and simplified cancellations have cut no-show rates from 40.6% in spring 2024 to 29.4% by fall. Emergency response times have seen dramatic improvements, dropping from nine minutes to just three, thanks to collaboration with doctors and researchers. Additional innovations include digital prescriptions, which simplify access to medications, and telemedicine, which expands options for patients unable to visit clinics in person. These services, combined with unified, digital medical records will ensure continuity of care across providers, as the system expands in 2025.

San Nicolás is setting a national benchmark for using data-driven strategies and technological innovation to build a health care system that prioritizes accessibility, equity and quality for all its residents.

When you govern you have to have the humility to understand that you do not know everything. There are other cities that have faced the same challenges and maybe they solved something and you have to know how to take that experience and adapt it.

Mayor Santiago Passaglia

“What using data did was to professionalize management. It is like navigating before with a compass and then navigating with a GPS. It allows you to make decisions with knowledge and make management efficient.”

Mayor Santiago Passaglia

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Corrientes,
Argentina

A Digital Transformation in Corrientes Improves Resident Experiences and Services

Project Type:
High-Performing Government, Technology

At a Glance

The Citizen Service System allows residents to ask questions and register complaints and concerns online, by phone and in person. Expansions and improvements to the system have enabled the City to resolve complaints in an average of 7 days instead of 30.

Launched in 2022, Muni Bot assists residents using the Citizen Service System on WhatsApp and the city’s website. In 2024, it had 60,000 new users and sent 1.4 million messages, a 2,000% increase from the previous year.

The Open Data Portal gives the public access to 70 datasets, encouraging a more informed community and holding the government accountable.

Digital inclusion programs, such as free public Wifi and training for government employees and the public, help bridge the digital divide. Public WiFi is available at 57 locations with around 450 daily users.

Electronic signatures for City paperwork enhance security and efficiency, reduce the time and cost of traveling to City Hall, and support paperless processes, aligning with the City’s goals of modernization, improved services and environmental stewardship.

In Corrientes, Argentina, the government has undertaken a profound digital transformation of its services, making life easier and government interactions smoother for residents. For instance, renewing a driver’s license–once a task that could mean hours spent in a waiting room–is now streamlined through a digital platform that allows residents to complete paperwork and book appointments online, reducing the in-person process to under 30 minutes.

We are focused on the fact that we are an organization that is there to provide services, to guide and order the functioning of the city and to serve and provide services; it is not a political slogan.

Mayor Eduardo Tassano

This improvement is part of Corrientes’ broader push to digitize city services, modernizing everything from document access to resident engagement.

The Muni Bot virtual assistant, launched in October 2022, embodies this shift towards efficiency. Accessible on WhatsApp and the city’s website, Muni Bot responds to questions around the clock, addressing about 80% of inquiries automatically and referring more complex issues to city staff. In 2024, Muni Bot added over 60,000 users, sent 1.4 million responses and helped residents settle over 4,000 fines, often needed for transactions like vehicle sales or license renewals. Digital upgrades, paired with the mapping of complaints, have improved resolution times from 30 days to seven.

Corrientes has also introduced digital tools like the Turnero Web, an online appointment management system which has cut wait times for services, such as appointments for licenses and health documents or scheduling transportation, to an average of seven minutes. As a result, the Subsecretariat of Transportation was able to serve more than 13,000 residents between 2022 and 2024. Meanwhile, the Open Data Portal offers over 70 datasets for public review, enhancing transparency and allowing residents to stay informed about city projects and policies. QR codes for online validation of official documents reduce fraud and improve access, while electronic signatures have sped up processes, cut costs and supported environmental sustainability.

Increased government efficiency is only a part of digital transformation: Corrientes is actively empowering residents to use wifi and digital tools.The City has boosted digital inclusion with 57 free public WiFi locations and training programs, like coding workshops for youth and the Munijoven IT Academy. The digital shift has also empowered residents to participate more actively in the community’s development. For example, 16 institutions helped craft an environmental action plan for the city and over 1,000 residents voted online for their priorities, including planting more trees and improving recycling. With these advancements, Corrientes is realizing the potential of digital governance to bridge the gap between the government and the people it serves.

Mayor Eduardo Tassano meets with the What Works Cities team. Photo Courtesy of the Municipality of Corrientes.

“We have closed the distance between the resident and the municipality. Residents have become empowered and demand more from the municipality. What they see that works in one area they demand it from another.”

Maria Cruz Silvero, Director General for Government Coordination

Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Belo Horizonte Reduces the Digital Divide and Creates Opportunities for Residents

Project Type:
Technology, High-Performing Government

At a Glance

Belo Horizonte uses demographic data to offer free Wi-Fi points in all Villages and Favelas, territories with high social vulnerability and low income, and train more than 17,000 residents through free technology and digital entrepreneurship courses.

The Open Data Portal makes more than 500 datasets available, encouraging transparency and public innovation.

Belo Horizonte Operations Center (COP-BH) brings together 20 institutions to share data used in managers’ daily decision-making, in major events, catastrophes and crises.

As of February 2025, citizens can interact remotely with Belo Horizonte City Hall by requesting 1,435 services on the BH Digital platform, including 128 quick request services via PBH APP.

The Belo Horizonte City Hall Data Lake brings together 10 databases from Resource Planning, Urban Mobility, Taxes and Citizen Service.

Belo Horizonte’s strategic planning is 100% aligned with Sustainable Development indicators.

Millions of people in Brazil, especially in low-income communities known as favelas, do not have access to the internet and computers, which is a barrier to education, professional opportunities and essential services. Belo Horizonte, however, is changing this reality. Digital inclusion is essential for universal access to digital public services. Inspired by the motto “Don’t leave anyone offline”, the Digital Inclusion Program, led by the City’s digital infrastructure and IT company, PRODABEL, is bridging the digital divide and transforming lives. The initiative is based on three pillars: connectivity, equipment and training.

Belo Horizonte uses demographic and geographic data as a tool to reduce social inequality and the lack of access to quality internet. In 2023, the City reached an important milestone by providing more than 2,100 free Wi-Fi points in Belo Horizonte’s 220 vilas and favelas. Across the capital, more than 4,800 access points now offer free internet, with a simplified login system available in Portuguese, Spanish and English, already used by more than 3 million people. For residents without their own technology, more than 130 telecenters — located in libraries, cultural centers and other public spaces — offer free access to computers and online services. Moreover, a mobile digital inclusion unit expands this effort, bringing technology and training directly to the most vulnerable communities, enabling access to recently digitized municipal services and educational programs.

Image Courtesy of the City of Belo Horizonte

“I am grateful for the learning opportunities that the basic IT course provided me. In my 39 years of life, this was the first time I had contact with a computer. When I arrived to take the course, I didn’t even know how to turn it on, and I had this wonderful opportunity to acquire knowledge that will open many doors for me.”

Adriana Lima, Belo Horizonte resident and graduate of a training course offered by the Municipal IT and Information Company (quote provided by the City)

“We work to improve people’s quality of life. That’s the most important thing.”

Mayor Fuad Noman

The program also increases digital inclusion by renovating and donating equipment — more than 50,000 to students and 1,300 to low-income families and telecenters in non-governmental institutions as of December 2024. Free technology courses, covering everything from computer basics to programming, robotics and digital entrepreneurship, enable residents to prosper in the digital economy. Available to anyone over the age of 16, these courses have already issued more than 17,000 certificates, with a focus on involving women, young people and the elderly.

Belo Horizonte is also a model in digital governance. City Hall trains employees in the use of technology to increase efficiency and improve decision-making. Through a pioneering Data Intelligence Policy, the City ensures that data is collected, stored and shared with security and transparency, in addition to prioritizing the responsible use of artificial intelligence. The Belo Horizonte Operations Center (COP-BH) puts this policy into practice, integrating data from more than 20 institutions to improve public services, coordinate major events and respond preventively to crisis situations.

The City is not only filling the technology gap, but also building a future in which every resident can thrive in a rapidly changing world.

In Belo Horizonte, we are committed to institutionalizing digital transformation, structuring processes and providing tools for decision-making. Furthermore, we understand the importance of everyone involved having digital literacy to take ownership of the digitalization of services.

Jean Mattos, president of Prodabel

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Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Smart Water Conservation, Big Savings

Project Type:
Infrastructure & Utilities, Technology, High-Performing Government

At a Glance

Enhanced water infrastructure to provide real-time data for better resource management, leading to a 90% reduction in field investigations and more than $1 million in cost savings.

Installed 290,000 new smart water meters between 2019 and 2022.

Used data to ensure that the federal financial assistance available during the pandemic was reaching customers who had the most need.

23 systems sending data into Fort Worth Water’s central database, detailing work orders, customer usage and payments, water main breaks and more.

When water pipes leak, the City of Fort Worth loses money. Without its own aquifer or reservoirs, the City buys its entire supply—82 billion gallons in 2023—from Tarrant Regional Water District for over 1.4 million customers in Fort Worth and 33 surrounding communities. When water is conserved, the financial benefits are tangible: Less water needs to be purchased (and treated), reducing operating costs.

This was a major impetus behind MyH20, a program launched in 2016 to both establish a more data-driven approach to water infrastructure management and maintenance and enable customers to better manage their water use.

The first step was installing nearly 300,000 new advanced water meters across Fort Worth Water’s service area. With near real-time data wirelessly transmitted to the utility, customers who register in the online portal are now alerted when possible leaks (i.e., continuous water flow) are detected on their property. Plus they can track usage and pay bills via the online portal. Meter and billing information now flows into a central data management platform, allowing Fort Worth Water to more easily identify who is behind on bills.

When federal water bill assistance was available during the Covid-19 pandemic, the utility was able to use the data to determine if those in danger of service termination for non-payment were the ones receiving assistance through the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), which was managed by third-party entities. (The LIHWAP program is no longer in place.)

Also, MyH20 has dramatically improved Fort Worth Water’s ability to understand the cost of water main leaks and prioritize pipe replacement projects. The utility is now able to systematically track and analyze not only the location of leaks but also the age and type of pipe leaking. Of course, officials knew that older pipes were more likely to have problems. But the ability, for example, to show that cast iron pipes accounted for 92% of water main breaks in 2023—and then detail the exact cost of those breaks—helps build the case for infrastructure improvements. This year, City Council doubled funding for the utility’s pipeline rehabilitation program, allowing it to replace 20 miles of cast iron pipes per year, rather than only 10. The most at-risk pipes are being replaced first.

These upgrades do more than ensure more reliable water service across the city. Strategically upgrading infrastructure—along with helping residents manage their water use—means the entire system loses less water and keeps costs down. Long-term it means less service disruptions to customers. That’s good for the planet, the City and paying customers.

“Because we can use data from multiple systems to see what is happening, we are able to refine our models and improve the water loss estimates for each leak and main break.”

Shane Zondor, Assistant Director of Management Services, Water Department

“We’re building a culture where you have to have data to make decisions, to make recommendations to City Council on policy initiatives. Momentum is building: When people see that data is the key to the treasure, to resource allocation, then they start using data and tracking outcomes.”

David Cooke, City Manager

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Calgary, Canada

Make it Personal: How Calgary Is Supporting Residents to Take Climate Action.

Project Type:
Energy, Environment, Infrastructure and Utilities, Technology

At a Glance

The residential solar calculator helps Calgarians understand the potential for solar energy generation in their home. It provides an estimate of energy cost savings, greenhouse gas reductions and the investment payback period. This data supports Calgarians to make informed decisions on energy use in their home.

Applied advanced analytics to map data, 3D building models and energy costs to create a residential solar calculator tailored for Calgary households—an in-house solution that contributed to a doubling of the city’s residential solar installations in 2023.

48,000 visits to the online residential solar calculator, with 65% returning users, which shows high engagement from residents.

The importance of harnessing the power of the sun is clear. Worldwide, extreme weather events have increased fivefold since 1970 and 2024 was Canada’s costliest year on record for weather-related disasters. Calgary, Canada’s sunniest city, enjoying approximately 333 days of sun each year, and Canada’s fastest-growing metropolitan area with 1.68 million residents, recognizes that addressing climate change requires collective action. For individuals, it can be hard to know how to contribute. But The City of Calgary is empowering residents to act with a climate strategy that blends data, innovation and community engagement.

One standout initiative is Calgary’s Residential Solar Calculator. Launched in 2022, the online tool allows homeowners to assess their property’s solar potential. It uses LiDAR remote sensing and GIS mapping technology to account for roof tilt, orientation and shading and provides personalized solar insights for each Calgary residential address. The tool equips residents with vital knowledge to weigh the pros and cons of solar energy and engage with service providers confidently. The calculator educates homeowners on switching to solar energy, providing an estimated upfront cost and monthly energy savings. This information is crucial for determining whether solar energy is financially viable and how quickly the investment will pay off.

Calgary’s Residential Solar Calculator dashboard.

“Data analysis, visualization and data-supported stories play an incredibly important role in our climate work today and the climate work of tomorrow. We are using data to help us understand the complex nature of climate systems, identify patterns and trends, inform action and communicate with Calgarians.”

Dawn Smith, Manager, Governance & Reporting, Climate & Environment

To support Calgary’s broader greenhouse gas reduction goals, The City wants to generate more of its electricity needs within city boundaries from renewable sources. In 2023 alone, Calgary installed 16,000 kilowatts of residential solar PV—doubling the city’s capacity. During this time, more than 48,000 people have visited the calculator and almost two-thirds are return users, signaling high engagement. The popularity of the calculator highlights that there is an appetite from Calgarians to explore and understand the benefits of installing solar energy in their homes. By providing easily accessible, relevant and tailored information to homeowners, the residential solar calculator helps drive solar adoption indirectly through education and information sharing.

Supporting these efforts is Calgary’s comprehensive climate and environment dashboard, which tracks metrics and shares key program information with residents. This dashboard will ensure The City is transparent and accountable to its climate goals and outcomes by providing a comprehensive resource for the community to monitor results.

“Calgary is committed to embedding data and evidence into our decision-making processes. This approach ensures that taxpayer dollars are used effectively and that Calgary is a stronger and more resilient city, capable of facing future challenges.”

Mayor Jyoti Gondek

Climate change is a global challenge, but Calgary’s approach shows the power of solutions that involve government and residents. By making climate information more personalized and accessible to all, Calgary is not only addressing the crisis—it’s demonstrating its commitment to support its residents and setting a benchmark for other cities.

Calgary’s Climate and Environment dashboard.

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Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

1,000 Trees Rooted in Data, Community and Sustainability.

Project Type:
Community Engagement, Environment, Health and Wellbeing, Infrastructure and Utilities, Technology

At a Glance

The City assessed tree distribution citywide to plant 700 new trees in areas that needed the most shade.

Raleigh’s Digital Inclusion education program has trained more than 3,800 residents, provided more than 1,000 computers to residents, and delivered more than 10,000 volunteer hours.

A biannual community survey gathers input from residents on issues that impact quality of life, which guides services and policies.

A cost-share program reduces water pollution and has helped fund more than 200 stormwater infrastructure projects (such as green roofs, cisterns, and rain gardens) on private property. Up to 100% of costs are covered for non-profits and lower income property owners.

For over 200 years, Raleigh has been known as the “City of Oaks” for its towering oak trees that line streets and shade neighborhoods. Yet today, the city, which has long celebrated its natural canopy, confronts a stark reality: More than a quarter of people in the Raleigh metro area live in neighborhoods that become heat islands in the summer, where temperatures soar above the city’s average.

Those extra degrees have a high cost — heat islands make neighborhoods less livable and increase the risk of heat-related health complications. These heat islands are disproportionately located in low-income neighborhoods. One reason for the heat islands is a lack of trees, which results in heat being absorbed in materials like concrete and asphalt. This heat is then slowly released causing temperatures to stay high even after the sun sets, making it difficult for neighborhoods to cool down overnight. This prolonged heat exposure can exacerbate the effects of heat stress and lead to higher energy costs and poorer air quality.

Today, the “City of Oaks” is working to combat heat islands through a data-backed street tree planting project.

At the start, the project wanted to learn how trees were distributed across the city. Then, the team wondered if planting more trees in certain locations could reduce the number of heat islands

The City analyzed U.S. Census data and an Urban Heat Island study. Then it conducted a walking survey of Raleigh’s current street trees. City staff mapped tree density and income levels, which showed that lower income neighborhoods had fewer trees than their wealthier counterparts. On average, there is one street tree every 1,000 feet in the chosen priority area, whereas other, newer parts of the city have street trees every 40 feet.

“Strong data practices have made us a better organization. We’re able to better connect with the community because there are decisions that are made based on what the data tells us. That data gives us a solid foundation to drive policy and resources.”

City Manager Marchell Adams-David

“I am proud but not surprised that Raleigh continues to achieve recognition for effectively using data and science to drive outcomes. I am also proud of our staff and their devotion to developing the data and using it to implement the solutions that improve the lives of our residents. This designation from Bloomberg Philanthropies is a result of their hard work.”

Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell

The City’s solution is to plant 1,000 street trees by the end of 2025, not located randomly across the city, but in the neighborhoods that need it most to reduce urban heat islands. Urban trees and nature can cool cities by up to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes heat-related illness less likely and reduces energy consumption, saving residents money. So far, 700 trees have been planted in low-income neighborhoods in southeast Raleigh, helping make the air cleaner, preventing flash floods during storms, absorbing carbon dioxide, and encouraging communities to gather and play outdoors.

Raleigh city staff know their numbers, but they aren’t missing the forest for the trees—community support and resident engagement are critical for long-term success. The project has connected with residents at community events for Earth Day and Arbor Day. Additionally, residents near potential tree planting spots receive paid-postage mailers from the City that allow them to select the tree species they want or say that they would not prefer a tree.

The Street Tree Project is just one piece of Raleigh’s climate efforts, and it represents more than a tree planting initiative — it’s a data-based strategy to ensure that all residents, no matter where they live, can share in the benefits of the City of Oaks.

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Reno, NV, USA

For A Better City Sewer System, Start with Better Data

Project Type:
Infrastructure and Utilities, Technology

At a Glance

7 – Number of processes (including paper-based ones) combined through an internal platform that helps manage a range of city operations.

13 – Number of sewage overflows that occurred in the city in 2023—down from 23 in 2017 resulting in a 43.5% decrease.

When employees retire, cities run the risk of losing valuable, specialized knowledge—and that can disrupt smooth service delivery as departments spend more time reacting to problems instead of anticipating them. Consider sewage infrastructure maintenance. Without easily accessible data detailing when each city-owned sewer main was inspected and cleaned, and which lines are more prone to blockages, overflows become more likely.

In May 2023, Reno launched a new cloud-based enterprise-wide platform that captures data from Maintenance & Operations Department (M&O) teams, as well as other departments. Called ServiceNow, the platform collects and organizes everything from work order details (which had been spread across multiple software systems) to service requests made by residents through Reno Direct, the City’s nonemergency service center. With a wave of retirements on the horizon in M&O, which manages the sewer system, the City’s investment in data management upgrades will be essential.

“Data-driven governance is all about making sure our resources are provided where and when they are needed most. With data centralized and easy to access, we’re not just saving time and money, we can deliver better services and outcomes to our residents.”

Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve

“Data-driven analyses to guide decisions are absolutely essential. We can’t afford to go with a gut instinct or take a guess when it comes to resource allocation. I don’t have millions of extra dollars floating around.”

Jackie Bryant, City Manager, Reno

Now M&O has the tools to closely track all the work its teams are doing in one place—no more paper-based processes, such as sewer line maps marked up with a highlighter. The City’s GIS software is integrated into ServiceNow, allowing teams to enter exactly where both maintenance work and overflows occur. With detailed, nearly real-time data at hand, M&O leaders can keep tabs on high-frequency problem pipes and better predict maintenance needs.

The Department is also more efficient now that all sewer system maintenance team members speak the same data language. The City paid for employees who conduct sewer line inspections with remote-controlled cameras to complete a pipeline assessment certification program. Assessment codes entered into ServiceNow are now consistent and accurate. Cleaner, more reliable data has helped strengthen sewer system maintenance, contributing to the steady drop in the number of overflow events Reno has seen in recent years.

The City’s commitment to leveraging the power of data goes beyond M&O. In June, its Clean & Safe Program, an effort focused on connecting unhoused people to housing and various services, launched a new mobile app integrated with ServiceNow. Outreach workers can easily enter individuals’ demographic data, contact community resources, and access digital case files. Now the City is analyzing trends to better understand the impact of housing services and identify areas in need of additional funding and support.

“With data to support your position, you can cut through people’s inherent biases and political narrative and get to ‘yes’ far more easily. Without data, you’re just arguing with people’s perspectives.”

Jackie Bryant, City Manager, Reno

With a data management infrastructure in place, the City is now better able to track the key performance indicators (KPIs) across departments that contribute to Reno’s strategic goals. Smooth city services lead to residents who can trust that their local government is always working to be more efficient and better serve the community.

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San Fernando, Chile

After the Flood, a Disaster Relief Upgrade

Project Type:
Environment, Health and Utilities, Infrastructure, Public Safety, Technology

At a Glance

100% of the municipal administrative process for climate emergency relief was digitized after the destructive floods of June 2023.

The average response time of the municipality to provide food and other assistance to flood victims in 2024 decreased from six to two days.

Introduced an emergency phone line that was able to receive a daily peak of 150 to 200 calls during winter emergencies, a significantly higher volume than its average of six calls per day.

Used data science to segment the population within the network of three primary health centers, which will reduce overcrowding in one of the centers by 79%.

In June 2023, disaster struck San Fernando. Residents of the provincial capital city, which sits along the Tinguiririca River in central Chile, watched as floodwaters rose following the heaviest rainfall to hit the region in decades. Nearly 600 families living in vulnerable neighborhoods were affected. Some lost everything.

To receive emergency aid, flood victims had to register with the government through a laborious process. The main communication channel connecting residents was the telephone—but the City could only handle eight calls at one time. Government officials met with affected residents, taking notes on paper to record individuals’ needs and locations. Sometimes documents would get wet and damaged, requiring additional work and slowing aid delivery. The analog process was time-consuming. Relief supplies, such as food and clothing, didn’t reach those in need for six days, on average.

Image courtesy of the City of San Fernando.

Following the disaster, the Municipality decided to create a Directorate for Disaster Risks, which leads and coordinates responses to climatic emergencies. (The Municipality also built a new retaining wall to mitigate future flood risks.) Leaders of this new office quickly made the decision to bring disaster relief administration into the 21st century, in support of San Fernando’s inaugural data governance strategy. Spanning 2024-25, it aims to improve data-driven decision-making, efficiency and performance management.

The Directorate analyzed and then digitized each part of the emergency aid registration process. Its team then implemented a cloud-based platform to capture data from in-person visits, including from a new GIS tool detailing exact locations of individuals in need. New digital infrastructure also sped up aid delivery reporting processes and allowed local officials to gain a more current understanding of disaster relief operations.

It didn’t take long for digitization to deliver value to residents. In 2024, the Tinguiririca River flooded again. There were fewer flood victims, thanks to improved physical barriers as well as flood awareness communications from the Directorate. The residents who did require aid saw help arrive within just two days, on average, thanks to faster relief registration and aid delivery processes.

This is just one example of the benefits San Fernando is seeing as it upgrades its digital infrastructure, says Mayor Pablo Silva Perez. He created the City’s Continuous Improvement and Data Science departments after his election in 2021. “Better data infrastructure sets the stage for improving our operations and decision-making. We see how it improves our city, and we’re just getting started.”

“In an era of tight budgets, data-driven decision-making allows government to optimize the use of resources and maximize benefits to residents. The What Works Cities certification process is so valuable because it supports all this, and much more.”

Mayor Pablo Silva Perez

“Data is an extraordinary tool for improving cities. If I could say one thing to leaders of cities around the world, it is: Don’t doubt the value of data and don’t hesitate to begin and then continue the work of creating a new governing normal.“

Mayor Pablo Silva Perez

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Vicente López, Argentina

Using AI to Detect Dengue-Carrying Mosquitoes in Real-Time

Project Type:
Environment, Health and Wellbeing, Technology

At a Glance

Vicente López developed a device powered by AI to instantly detect dengue-carrying mosquitoes with 90% accuracy, helping the City’s response time go from ten days to real-time.

The City’s data-driven recycling strategy implements weekly collections, new trash receptacles and environmental awareness campaigns. The goal is to reduce the amount of trash sent to landfill by 25%.

The 1000 Days Program aims to improve the comprehensive health of pregnant women, expectant mothers and children from 0 to 3 years old, especially those in vulnerable communities.

Vicente López is one of the first Latin American cities to publish a proclamation for the ethical use of artificial intelligence, helping the City stay updated and promote good practices in the use of Generative AI.

The City of Vicente López, Argentina, has a new tool in the fight against dengue. With artificial intelligence that can detect the presence of dengue-carrying mosquito species in real time.

The device is one of many data-based initiatives being developed in municipal government and has the potential to save lives in South America and around the world. As temperatures rise, dengue spreads to cities where it was not a significant problem before.

This is the case in Argentina, where the number of dengue cases shattered the country’s previous recorded records in 2023 and again in 2024. People who are bitten by a mosquito carrying the dengue virus often experience high fever and severe headaches and joint pain. In severe cases, dengue is deadly.

One of the City of Vicente López’s AI-powered mosquito traps.

“The use of data helps us improve our management and provide quality public services. It is not only about improving our processes, but also about having a positive impact on the daily lives of our neighbors.”

Vicente López Mayor Soledad Martínez

As part of its efforts to combat this disease, the municipal government has placed dozens of special AI-powered mosquito traps near health centers, schools, sports fields and other places in the municipality. The traps are approximately the size of a 500ml bottle and they use a fan, along with an attractant, to attract mosquitoes through a hole. Once inside, a camera takes a photo of the insect and sends the image to a database, hosted in the Amazon Web Services cloud, containing thousands of mosquito photographs.

That’s where artificial intelligence comes into play. AI classifies photographs to determine if the mosquito in the trap is the Aedes A species aegypti that transmits dengue, with an accuracy greater than 90 percent. This data is sent to the municipal health inspectors, who closely observe the flow of information. “When the alert arrives, a prevention protocol is activated and immediate fumigation,” said Juan Pablo Fittipaldi, Secretary of Digital Transformation of the Municipality.

It is too early to know if this innovation is having a real effect on dengue cases. However, what is clear is that Vicente López’s high-tech, data-driven approach has accelerated the speed with which they respond to the problem. The city’s previous detection systems relied on manual collection and analysis of samples that took up to ten days to detect the presence of dengue in the municipality. The new traps reduce that detection time to approximately one hour.

Vicente López City staff meet with What Works Cities Certification team.

The idea for this solution dates back to 2017, when two residents, the Barceló brothers, attended a hackathon at the Vicente López University Center that was aimed at using city data to find new ways to solve problems. They came up with the idea of the trap, which has gone through several iterations since then. The municipality is eager to share the solution with other cities where dengue is a threat to residents. Today, parts of the software code that feed the solution are freely available for anyone to use.

Through its innovative artificial intelligence traps and robust data management, Vicente López proactively confronts the growing threat of dengue and lays the foundation for a healthier community.

“What Works Cities Certification is not just about receiving an award, it is a process. It is about continuing to improve our management and being part of a network of cities that work with data to improve the lives of neighbors.”

Vicente López Mayor Soledad Martinez

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Porto Alegre, Brazil

Going Digital to Improve City Services

Project Type:
High-Performing Government, Technology

At a Glance

Digitalized city services, resulting in a 42% reduction in paper consumption by City government.

Reduced the average time it takes to register a business from six days to seven hours.

Expanded digital resident service channels, via the Customer Service Center, which resulted in an 82% increase in interactions with residents between 2020 and 2023.

Between 2022 and 2023, there was a 46% increase in residents using City Hall’s digital application to request services.

In 2023, the Innovative Territories Project promoted the digital inclusion of underserved communities, including the installation of 45 new internet access points, with 13,000 uses per month.

A Sunday morning in Porto Alegre’s Germânia Park. Photo: Alex Rocha/PMPA

When it comes to municipal services, digitalization is a win-win situation for residents and the government. It simplifies workflows, reduces costs and allows cities to better use their data. But what matters most is how digitalization can improve the lives of residents. The digital transformation of Porto Alegre City Hall shows how technological updates can make City Hall more accessible and responsive to the 1.3 million people it serves.

For example, the City drastically reduced the time it took to register a business — from six days to seven hours after the process was digitized, allowing operations to begin sooner and supporting economic development. And more efficient operations enabled by digital systems have helped reduce backlog in the city’s 156 system, through which residents receive non-emergency information and support services, in 79% since 2020.

The movement to digitize and connect public services is a decisive step toward a more innovative, efficient and transparent government that responds to the needs of its residents. In Porto Alegre, I believe we are establishing a model for cities throughout Brazil and Latin America.

Cezar Schirmer, Head of the Secretariat of Planning and Strategic Affairs, City of Porto Alegre

More broadly, Porto Alegre’s digital transformation — which has accelerated since early 2023, in part due to support from the Inter-American Development Bank — has helped the city’s decision-makers start with data.

When Sebastião Melo took office in 2021, his administration published a strategic plan aligned with electoral promises and public feedback. Prometa 2021-2024 included contributions from more than 1,800 employees through the “Vozes da Cidade” project.

Porto Alegre’s commitment to prioritizing data continues. Certification is an important milestone, but city leaders understand that their new data practices can help Porto Alegre become even more proactive and resilient. The City is working to eliminate silos in its own systems, aiming to turn technology upgrades into more improvements for residents. It’s working to connect healthcare, education, financial and other databases so it can provide crucial services more proactively. For example, its “Digital Citizen” initiative provides each resident with a personalized profile reflecting their interests, information and needs. The connected and interoperable database covers several different agencies/secretariats, so the City can communicate with citizens more effectively, for example, suggesting a vaccine directly to an unvaccinated child or offering places in daycare centers and municipal schools digitally, as well as signaling if a homeowner hasn’t paid property taxes — and then encourage residents to take action through a mobile app.

Porto Alegre’s story highlights how digital transformation and data-driven decision-making combine to lay the foundation for better municipal government.

“Data is essential for making better decisions and improving residents’ lives. And it helps invest resources more efficiently, as well as allowing the government to be more transparent.”

Mayor Sebastião Melo

Photo Courtesy of the City of Porto Alegre.

Porto Alegre has dedicated itself to transforming the innovation environment and stimulating entrepreneurship. We have been working to build a consolidated ecosystem that aligns the benefits of technology with the needs of the population. Innovation needs to translate into more efficient services, improving the city and the lives of people.

Mayor Sebastião Melo

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