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Newark, New Jersey, USA

A Group Approach to Violence Prevention

Project Type:
Public Safety, Cross-Sector Collaboration, Community Engagement

At a Glance

Established a coalition of over 50 cross-sector partners to share and strengthen public safety and infrastructure data, which led to a 25% decrease in homicides in 2024 compared to 2023.

36% decrease in auto thefts in 2024, compared to 2023. Neighborhood hotspots have seen drops of 55%.

5% of Newark’s blocks account for the majority of violent crimes in the city.

50+ organizations that are part of Brick City Peace Collective, which coordinates Newark’s violence prevention ecosystem.

When the right data gets to the right people, significant change is possible. That’s what the City of Newark has pioneered with its groundbreaking approach to reducing violence. The city of more than 300,000 residents has become a national model in shifting responses to violence to be more data-driven, collaborative, and focused on violence as a public health challenge.

Newark’s Police Division works alongside The Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery (OVPTR), a community-based public safety entity. Under this umbrella is the Brick City Peace Collective (BCPC) that coordinates an ecosystem of more than 50 organizations working to reduce violence and increase wellbeing. Under Mayor Ras J. Baraka’s leadership, the collective launched in 2020 to coordinate and share data analysis, design interventions, and strengthen relationships between law enforcement and residents. BCPC partners include nonprofits, grassroots organizations, city agencies and the Newark Public Safety Collaborative (NPSC), an initiative of Rutgers University-Newark’s School of Criminal Justice.

Image Courtesy of the City of Newark.

“When we bring data into the conversation to understand where violence does and does not happen, we can start to move past misinformation, stereotypes and stigma, and redefine what Newark is and can be.”

Jessiah Paul, Director of Brick City Peace Collective

“Through measurable and data-driven outcomes, we can decrease violence and ultimately save and change lives.”

Mayor Ras Baraka

With NPSC providing key data analytics support, BCPC members meet regularly to discuss trends and share insights, including crime hotspots and to develop response strategies. Take bodegas: In 2023, 53% of shooting incidents occurred within two blocks of several identified small corner stores. BCPC members then zeroed in on the 10 bodegas most associated with gun violence. Additionally, further data analysis illuminated what time of day shootings were most common near stores.

By utilizing data, the city can implement targeted responses rather than relying on generalized strategies. Responses built around this kind of data involve much more than police patrols. For instance, Newark’s power utility, PSE&G, may prioritize street lighting improvements if data correlates violence with darker streets. Staff from community-based organizations conduct targeted outreach walks, actively engaging local residents to better understand what a particular neighborhood is experiencing and needs.

All data, including information gathered through community outreach, goes into the City’s data management platform, which is accessible to all BCPC members. The platform also supports the City’s belief that violence prevention should be about more than policing: Through the platform, the Police Division is able to alert community support officers when crime victims or other residents may need mental health and other stabilizing services.

Image Courtesy of the City of Newark.

With weekly data reports highlighting the location of crimes and social service needs (based on referrals), social service organizations in BCPC are able to ramp up targeted outreach and community engagement efforts. Compared to five years ago, Newark’s violence prevention leaders no longer feel they’re playing catch-up. Instead, through disaggregating data to understand crime patterns and disseminating the analysis among coalition members, public safety strategies can be effectively co-produced by BCPC partners.

Strategies to prevent homicides and auto thefts (which spiked in 2023) are working as planned. Newark has seen a 25% decrease in homicides and a 36% reduction in auto thefts in 2024, compared to 2023. Juvenile arrests are also down. It’s no surprise that other cities across the country have visited Newark and looked to the city to learn about its comprehensive approach as a valuable violence prevention model. Their success is proof that data-driven collaboration can power on-the-ground progress.

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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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Burlington, Vermont, USA

A Data-Driven Approach to Building More Housing

Project Type:
Community Engagement, Economic Development, Housing

At a Glance

Passed data-driven zoning changes that are boosting the amount of housing that can be built in neighborhoods across the city.

Used disaggregated data and community outreach to design a small business loan program that complies with Sharia law, allowing Muslim residents to more easily start businesses.

Novel approaches to opioid response have grown out of regular CommunityStat meetings where elected leaders, community members and subject-matter experts review overdose data and collaborate on responses.

In Burlington, a city of 45,000 on the shore of Lake Champlain, one of the biggest challenges today is the same problem that cities 10 and 20 times its size are wrestling with: How can we build enough housing to bring down the skyrocketing cost of living?

To answer this question, Burlington looked at one common obstacle for housing supply: zoning laws. City leaders started by assembling data to understand the existing state of the local homeowner and rental markets, and how those have changed over time. The resulting Housing Report set the stage for extensive resident engagement (including housing trivia) and public debate around housing needs. It also showed clearly that the city would not meet its goal of building 1,250 new housing units over five years without trying new approaches.

1,124 number of units built or in construction and permitting pipeline as of June 2024

“We’ve used data to inform this [zoning amendment] process, and we’re tracking and evaluating the work that we’ve done.”

Sarah Morgan, Planner, City of Burlington

Another analysis produced data on the character and typologies of different neighborhoods in the city and what zoning does and does not control. Both datasets informed the text of the final zoning amendment approved by the City Council, which aimed to be sensitive to the existing context of residential neighborhoods while offering the flexibility necessary to encourage construction of more housing types.

The end result is the city’s new Neighborhood Code, launched in 2024. The plan changes zoning in every neighborhood in the city to allow more multi-family dwellings to be built. This upzoning solution aims to solve the problem of “missing middle housing”, which are multi-unit properties such as townhomes, duplexes, triplexes and  cottage clusters, that fill the gap between single-family homes and large apartment buildings. It offers residents more options based on their budget and increases Burlington’s housing supply. Where similar proposals in other cities around the country have proven controversial, Burlington’s City Council passed the plan unanimously.

40 number of units permitted in the first eight months of the new Neighborhood Code.

There are early signs that the code changes are making a difference. Since March 2024, 40 new housing units were permitted under the new code – well more than the 10 per year city planners expected. That alone won’t fix Burlington’s housing supply problems. But over time, the Neighborhood Code stands to play an important role in how the city meets its housing goals, which are tracked real time on a public-facing Housing Dashboard. “There is evidence in other cities that real increases in housing supply have led to lower rents,” says Nancy Stetson, Senior Policy and Data Analyst. “We want to be able to show that in Burlington, too.”

“Being a What Works Cities Certified city affirms the direction we’re on as a city that’s going to innovate around problems we face and also let the vibrancy of Burlington reemerge.”

Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak

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Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

Fast-Tracking Climate Resiliency

Project Type:
Community Engagement, Environment, Infrastructure and Utilities

At a Glance

25.6” – Amount of rainfall recorded in Fort Lauderdale on April 12th, 2023, a new one-day record for the city.

$500 million – Cost of stormwater infrastructure improvements planned across 25 Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods over the next 10 years.

On April 12th, 2023, Fort Lauderdale was unexpectedly inundated by a 1-in-1,000 year storm. More than two feet of rain fell in just 12 hours, the most ever recorded there in a single day. Stormwater infrastructure was designed to handle a maximum of three inches of rain in 24 hours and was quickly overwhelmed, flooding wide swaths of the city of about 189,000 on Florida’s southeastern coast. More than 1,000 homes and City Hall were severely damaged, with water chest-deep in some places.

The unprecedented precipitation coupled with a very high tide underscored how climate change makes storms both more intense and less predictable. For Mayor Dean Trantalis and his leadership team, it also made clear the City needed to make Fort Lauderdale’s stormwater infrastructure stronger—and they needed to do it now.

A flooded street in Fort Lauderdale where climate change is creating more intense and unpredictable storms. Image Courtesy of the City of Arlington.

“We use data to think about everything. It’s all data-driven, from flood mapping and risk modeling to infrastructure planning and asset management. And now we’re really starting to tackle the challenge of figuring out what’s going to flood, when and where.”

Dr. Nancy Gassman, Deputy Director of Public Works

“Prioritizing the right climate adaptation projects requires careful location-specific risk assessments. I’m proud of our enhanced infrastructure strategy, and I’m proud that Fort Lauderdale is being recognized through What Works Cities Certification for putting data at the center of our climate resilience work.”

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis

In November 2023 at the State of the City address, the mayor unveiled Fortify Lauderdale, a $500 million initiative to speed up and expand flood-prevention infrastructure projects across the city through 2034. The City had already been planning to upgrade infrastructure in eight neighborhoods before the April 2023 flooding. After the disaster, leaders ramped up data gathering efforts to identify high-risk areas and refine stormwater infrastructure plans for another 17 neighborhoods.

During Phase 1of the Stormwater Master Planning effort, city employees and consultants attended neighborhood association meetings asking residents to mark up a map detailing exactly where flooding occurred. They also gathered flooding data from residents who called the city’s customer service hotline. Internally, the City conducted a comprehensive stormwater asset management inventory, leaning on its GIS team to detail not just the location of every drain and pipe but also all maintenance work done on each piece of infrastructure in recent years.

All of this data informed the citywide stormwater master planning effort, which allowed leaders to prioritize infrastructure projects based on specific needs and risk levels. The result: 25 additional neighborhoods will see flood prevention upgrades over the next decade, more than triple the number that had been set to receive improvements prior to 2023.

“We have to manage through data given the organization’s finite resources. The ability to segment and analyze data in targeted ways is crucial for navigating where resources should go.”

Susan Grant, Acting City Manager, Fort Lauderdale

As of August 2024, about half of Phase 1 of the Stormwater Master Plan neighborhoods were complete or in construction. Spanning eight neighborhoods, the plan provides 50 miles of new stormwater pipe, 10 new stormwater pump stations, higher seawalls and enhanced swales, among other improvements. These will help get water out of neighborhoods faster, preventing costly damage. The new stormwater improvements are expected to improve the drainage capacity from 3 inches of rain in 24 hours to 7-10 inches. Fortify Lauderdale also includes developing guidelines that will strengthen outreach to owners of vulnerable properties to help them improve their own climate resilience practices. Together, these efforts are showing residents that when the next storm comes, the City can reduce the intensity, duration and frequency of flooding to roads passable, protect homes and prevent life-changing damage.

“A successful infrastructure resilience strategy needs to be anchored in community engagement and solid data,” Mayor Trantalis says. “We’re determined to maximize the value of every dollar we spend on these projects—there’s no time to waste.”

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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.

Image courtesy of the City of Raleigh.

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
Image courtesy of the City of Raleigh.

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.

Image courtesy of the City of Raleigh.

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Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

Using Evidence to Improve Emergency Medical Care

Project Type:
Health and Wellbeing, Homelessness, Housing

At a Glance

The City of Oklahoma City became the lead for the Key to Home Partnership — a collaboration of over 50 organizations working to prevent and end homelessness — and successfully housed 1,610 individuals in 2024.

Developed an evidence-based emergency response strategy, providing nearly 100 trauma patients with life-saving blood transfusions in the field before they get to the hospital.

Launched an innovation team, which leads data governance efforts and partners with the “Leading With Results” performance management team to continually monitor, evaluate and improve City operations.

Formed a data governance board to engage city departments in finding ways to make data more shareable, secure and useful in decision making.

In January 2024, two Oklahoma City paramedics found themselves 120 miles from a hospital tending to a man who had been crushed by a bulldozer. They did something unusual in civilian trauma cases: They administered a blood transfusion in the field. The man survived the two-hour trip to the hospital, where he received additional treatment.

The idea of transfusing a patient in the field may not sound revolutionary, but it actually flips traditional protocols upside down. For years, the status quo in these trauma cases has been the same: Blood transfusions happen in the hospital, and the paramedics’ goal is to get to the hospital as fast as possible.

In Oklahoma City, paramedics with the Fire Department had an idea: What if instead of transporting the patient to the blood, they brought blood to the patient? It might buy trauma patients valuable time to make it to the hospital alive.

Image Courtesy of the City of Oklahoma.

Rather than immediately launching a new program, Fire Department leaders started by looking at experiences of other cities. They reviewed the research on emerging practices and found evidence that the approach would save lives. Not only that, but their peers in San Antonio had started a groundbreaking program just like this in 2018. It was working so well it had become a national model.

Backed with hard evidence, Oklahoma City leaders built their new program. Two Fire Department emergency units carry mobile transfusion kits that include bags of refrigerated blood and a device that quickly warms the blood to body temperature. Paramedics are now able to transfuse patients in the field, ahead of additional care at the hospital. As Carl Cobb, Battalion Chief of Emergency Medical Services for the Oklahoma City Fire Department, puts it, “It helps the paramedics or EMTs that are providing care know that they are giving them the best chance of survival.”

“Our data governance board is an important piece of breaking down silos between departments, and it couldn’t happen without leadership support. It makes sure that departments know it’s not just that we want to measure stuff but that we want to make sure the measures are correct, easy to access, and actionable.”

Dr. Kelly Williams, Chief Innovation Officer

“The way our data governance board approaches issues is not about one department being better than another. It’s about all of us being good together.”

City Manager Craig Freeman
Oklahoma City paramedics prepare a blood transfusion on the scene.

1,610 individuals successfully housed in 2024

Now, it’s making a big difference for Oklahoma City residents. Through the program, OKCFD and EMSA paramedics have administered whole blood to more than 90 patients in the field. Of those the Fire Department responded to, 89 percent survived the trip to the hospital. And 69 percent of them survived to hospital discharge.

The Oklahoma City program is a partnership among the Fire Department, Oklahoma University Health, EMSA, Our Blood Institute, the regional blood bank and more. The partners meet to review every case where whole blood is used to assess how the program is working. They’ve already made some tweaks based on their ongoing evaluations. For example, at first, only male patients aged 15 and up, and females over age 50 were eligible — there were concerns about risks of reactions to O-positive blood among women of childbearing age. Now, all patients aged 15 and up are eligible, and the partners are looking at whether the age limit can be lowered to 6.

Paramedics say the new program, grounded from the start in evidence that it would work, is a game-changer. “I’ve been working for 30 years,” says Oklahoma City paramedic Jennifer Hamilton. “No changes have made more impact in my work than the whole blood program.”

“Achieving What Works Cities Certification is more than just validation of the work we’ve been doing with data. More importantly, it sets us on a path where we can grow and get even better.”

City Manager Craig Freeman

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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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Savannah, Georgia, USA

Using Data to Guide a Parks and Rec Transformation

Project Type:
Community Engagement, Parks and Recreation, Public Safety, Transportation

At a Glance

The Recreation Reimagined initiative uses resident feedback and detailed data on facility conditions to prioritize investments in aquatic centers, athletic facilities and community centers.

Traffic calming and pedestrian safety improvements cut fatal traffic accidents by 56% and serious injury crashes by 33% between September 2023 and September 2024.

Savannah’s Community Partnership Program takes a results-driven approach to collaborating with nonprofits by contracting for services via a competitive process.

If you want to see how Savannah is transforming its parks and recreation facilities, it’s best to pick a hot summer day. That’s when the city’s sparkling new splash pads buzz with kids dashing through spray fountains and newly renovated public pools are packed with swimmers.

It wasn’t always like this. Savannah had underinvested in recreation for years. Splash parks were little more than weathered concrete slabs where water poured out of a pipe. Pools had not been resurfaced in 20 years, and were often closed due to equipment failures.

The revitalization is the result of Recreation Reimagined, a city initiative that is improving parks and rec programming and upgrading recreation facilities across Savannah using federal pandemic relief dollars. Tired community centers are getting fresh coats of paint, new furniture and gaming consoles to attract teenagers. Basketball and tennis courts are getting resurfaced. Athletic fields are getting new lighting and turf. And playgrounds are getting new slides, swings and play equipment.

“We’ve created a new Information and Public Affairs Service Center. Their job is to wake up every day thinking about data — how we collect it, how we visualize it, how we analyze it, how we use it to make decisions, how we use it to engage residents to understand their needs and involve them in decision making, and how we use it to tell our story better.”

City Manager Jay Melder

40 percent increase in pool attendance from 2023 to 2024

37 percent increase in youth program participants from 2023-2024

13 percent increase in senior meals served from 2023 to 2024

City leaders grounded the entire effort in data. First, they surveyed more than 800 residents on the state of current recreational services and what amenities they wanted to see. Splash pads and pool renovations ranked high on that list, as did walking and biking paths, playgrounds and dog parks. City leaders used this data as one of their guides in deciding what kinds of facilities to invest in.

Next, they sent city staff across Savannah to conduct the city’s first physical assessment of every picnic table, bike rack, trail, trash can and see-saw — more than 5,000 items in all. Before the assessment, the City trained staff on how to classify both the appearance and functionality of equipment using the same methodology to yield consistent citywide data.

“Oftentimes, departments request funding but they don’t have data to back it up — it’s just ‘take my word for it,’” says Taffanye Young, Savannah’s Chief Community Services Officer.  “Having this data was a big help for us.”

One way the data helped was in prioritizing investments to public spaces with the greatest needs (based on the resident survey and physical assessment). The data also enabled city leaders to bundle procurements for everything from playground equipment to court resurfacings, yielding lower prices and helping to deliver results quickly.

Residents can see the difference, and are coming out to parks and rec facilities in greater numbers. In 2024, pool attendance was up 40 percent over the previous year, participation in youth programs was up 37 percent and 13 percent more meals were served to seniors.

“I firmly believe that the quality of your facilities speaks volumes about how much you care about the people who live there,” Young says. “Our focus is to show that we’re good stewards, prioritize the projects and deliver quick victories. We want people out in these neighborhoods saying, ‘A year ago I said I wanted a splash pad, and now it’s here.’”

“Achieving What Works Cities Certification shows that we’re really moving the needle. You can’t make that judgement internally. You have to have someone outside look at what you’re doing. When I first explained to our team about pursuing Certification, I told them it might reveal some truths about ourselves that we don’t like. But we’ll take it, and we’ll learn from it, and we’ll adjust.”

Mayor Van Johnson
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Boise, Idaho, USA

Recycling Wastewater to Build a More Resilient Future

Project Type:
Communications, Community Engagement, Infrastructure and Utilities

At a Glance

$570 million: Bond amount voters approved with 81% support in November 2021, funding Department of Public Works Water Renewal Services projects slated through 2030. 

50+: Number of open house events held at the city’s water recycling pilot site

6 million gallons: Amount of additional water Boise will add to its renewal capacity each day when fully its Recycled Water Program is implemented, strengthening the city’s resilience against drought, population growth and climate change.

2029: Year the brand-new water recycling facility is slated to open.

In Boise, climate change and population growth all pose a long-term challenge to the most precious natural resource: water. The city of about 247,000 people draws 70% of its water from aquifers and 30% from the Boise River. Both water sources are under growing stress due to rising demand for irrigation, shrinking snowpack and increasing drought frequency.

To build resilience and support growth, the City of Boise has embraced water recycling. In 2020, the Department of Public Works’ Water Renewal Service utility issued a data-driven strategic plan to ramp up Boise’s water recycling capabilities over the next 10 years, with a new focus on aquifer recharging. A centerpiece of the plan is construction of the city’s first recycled water facility.  

City leaders have worked to rally Boise residents around their vision to ensure an adequate supply of water for both residential use and new businesses. They built buy-in various ways. The City held over 50 community meetings to show trade-offs of water treatment models to address limited water supply. The result was a $570 million bond measure that passed in 2021 with voters’ overwhelming support (81% voted in favor). This allowed the City to move on major water renewal capital projects, including a new $420 million water recycling facility, with minimal sewer user fee increases.

Leaders also leveraged the annual budgeting process to build stakeholder support. In recent years the City’s budget has included tens of millions of dollars in water renewal capital project investments, including for an advanced water treatment pilot to test new technologies. The pilot site, which opened in 2023, tests five different filtration technologies including reverse osmosis and ultraviolet advanced oxidation, to remove all chemicals and pollutants from industrial wastewater. Notably, one goal for data from the pilot is to build trust with residents.  The City aims to show that the recycling treatment will produce safe water for the community. 

As Boise city officials and residents deepen their knowledge of innovative filtration technologies, which aren’t common in Idaho, a more resilient future is coming into view. In February 2024, the City purchased a 76-acre plot of land where it will build the new state-of-the-art recycled water facility. Construction will start in 2025, a key step toward a more sustainable Boise.

The WWC team at the Boise water facility.

“The open houses we’ve done with community engagement of this pilot, the ability to show people the technology and talk about it, is really incredible.”

Haley Falconer, Environmental Division Senior Manager, Public Works Department
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Sugar Land, Texas, USA

Where Data and Curb Appeal Aim to Make a Stronger City

Project Type:
Community Engagement, Equity, Health and Wellbeing, Technology

At a Glance

Used the Neighborhood Health Report, which included GIS data on population stagnation, aging housing and code violations, to create a home renovation program which targeted investments of over $2.7 million to upgrade 166 Sugar Land homes (145 projects have been completed.)

95% of participants said the program significantly influenced their decision to renovate their homes.

Redevelopment is one of the city’s “All-In” Initiatives using cross-departmental collaboration and performance management to make progress on complex challenges.

Another All-In Initiative is to increase the City’s data-driven decision making and is led by a four-person “What Works Cities team”

Neighborhood blight is not something you hear much about in Sugar Land, a prosperous suburb that frequently ranks near the top of “best places to live” lists. And city leaders want to keep it that way.

But here’s the challenge: The first wave of subdivisions that began Sugar Land’s transformation from small town into a city of 110,000 are reaching middle age. Some of the homes built in the 1970s and ‘80s are starting to look rough around the edges. Property values are linked to a city’s economic health. Declining property values can discourage community investment, reduce revenue for the City and make it hard to attract new residents. 

In response, Sugar Land recently launched a successful program called Great Homes Update. It encourages homeowners to take on external home upgrades like painting, garage door replacement, or driveway repairs. And it’s built from top to bottom on data that city leaders used to understand the problem, rally political support, and devise a solution that meets residents’ needs.

Great Homes is one product of what Sugar Land leaders call their “All-In” initiatives. These are cross-departmental collaborations aimed at using a performance management approach to make progress on complex challenges. Redevelopment in a mostly built-out city is one of those All-In initiatives. Improving data-driven decision making through What Works Cities coaching is another. 

To start, leaders conducted a neighborhood health report, mapping the age of homes across the city and where the most code violations were happening. They also sent staff out to different neighborhoods to do a qualitative assessment of the conditions of homes’ roofs, fences, and driveways. 

Next, they surveyed residents to make sure they understood the problem from the homeowners’ perspective. Residents confirmed that they would, indeed, implement improvements if a financial incentive were available. Before designing a pilot program, city leaders looked at how home-improvement programs work in 22 communities across the U.S. Their efforts to find evidence-based solutions in other cities paid off: The pilot they devised won nearly unanimous support from the City Council in February of 2023.

An example of the potential impact of exterior home renovations supported by the Great Homes program. Images Courtesy of the City of Sugar Land.

Through the program, owners of single-family homes are reimbursed for a portion of the cost of exterior house repairs, up to a maximum of $10,000. The City gave a higher rebate percentage to older homes and homes with less than the county’s median home value. .Another program offers owners of single-family houses and homeowner associations discounts on home design services. To make it easy for residents to find out exactly what benefits they’re eligible for, the City developed an easy-to-use address lookup tool based on resident feedback. 

Results from the first year of Great Homes were impressive. Homeowners carried out more than 145 home projects, including house painting, repairs to roofs and siding, and landscaping. The total of all repairs incentivized through the program was $2.3 million, with about $500,000 of that coming from city coffers. In follow-up surveys, users of the program overwhelmingly agreed that the City’s reimbursements influenced their decision to make home repairs. 

City leaders continue to use data to evaluate and improve Great Homes. Under a new iteration of the program, the list of eligible projects has expanded to include front door and gutter replacement.

In the long run, Sugar Land hopes the program will help make the City competitive with nearby areas and deter decline, helping to sustain a prosperous Sugar Land.

“What Works Cities Certification gives our organization a beacon to show: This is where we’re going and this is how we’re going to do it. We don’t need to create our own playbook.”

Mike Goodrum, City Manager
A data strategy brainstorming meeting. Image Courtesy of the City of Sugar Land.

“It’s a community effort that the program is inspiring. Keeping our neighborhoods in good shape is very important for the community.”

Joel Sanchez, Sugar Land resident and Great Homes participant

Residents leveraged about $500,000 in City funds to make more than $2.3 million worth of home improvements.

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