Innovation and Data Use in Cities
A Road to Increased Well-being
This report is a first-of-its-kind work to provide evidence on how cities’ investments in innovation and data use can pay off in powerful ways for residents. It offers analysis on the different ways local governments build capacity at the strategic and technical level, from organisational structure and strategy, to resource allocation and outcome evaluation. It shows that cities with higher public-sector innovation capacity and data use practices have higher levels of city and life satisfaction. Furthermore, when looking across key well-being dimensions from housing to environment, health and walkability, cities with higher innovation capacity and data use practices outperformed cities with lower capacity. The lessons in the report have been distilled into 10 recommendations to help local leaders boost their data use and innovation capacity to improve resident well-being.
Preface
As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold around the globe, city governments leapt into action implementing measures such as social distancing, lockdowns, and established teleworking protocols. Cities also launched specific initiatives, often in parallel with national ones, to support economic recovery, maintain the continuity of local public service delivery (including targeted services for vulnerable groups), and provide access to amenities and the reopening of public spaces consistent with COVID-19 safety protocols. Leveraging digital and communication tools, cities innovated as if their residents’ lives depended on it—because they did. While city leaders demonstrated agility in providing rapid and concrete responses to contain the devastation of the pandemic, they also looked to build future resilience by preparing for the shift to new urban paradigms favouring flexibility and adaptability, shifting focus from mobility to accessibility, and understanding how to fully harness the digital transition.
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