The City of Tempe is one of only five cities in the world to have earned Platinum Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities status. 

See what Bloomberg Philanthropies has to say about Tempe.

Los Angeles, New York City, Louisville, KY and Phoenix are the other four cities. 

What Works Cities certification is the national standard of excellence in data-driven city governance. The organization evaluates how well cities are managed by assessing the extent to which city leaders incorporate data and evidence in their decision-making. 

What Works Cities Certification assesses cities based on their data-driven decision-making practices, such as whether they are using data to set goals and track progress, allocate funding, evaluate the effectiveness of programs, and achieve desired outcomes from contracts with outside vendors. The program also measures whether cities are publicly and transparently communicating about their use of data and evidence.

While only five cities have achieved platinum status, there are 74 cities around the world that have received some level of certification. 

The city committed to using data to improve quality of life and to ensure residents get the most for their tax dollars in 2016. Today, residents can see Tempe’s progress and how it benefits them from measures such as fire response time, pavement quality index, walkability and our shade canopy. 

Tempe’s commitment to transparency and the use of data can easily be seen on its data dashboards. How the city scores on more than 100 performance measures may be viewed at Performance Measures. These measures are grouped into five categories based off five Tempe City Council Priorities: safe and secure communities, strong community connections, quality of life, sustainable growth and development, and financial stability and vitality.

 Achieving platinum certification is actually a City of Tempe performance measure. 

Read more about the award, why Tempe received it and what it means.

About What Works Cities:
What Work Cities, launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies in April 2015, is a national initiative that helps cities use data and evidence more effectively to tackle their most pressing challenges and improve residents’ lives. It is one of the largest-ever philanthropic efforts to enhance cities’ use of data and evidence. Through the initiative’s expert partners, cities around the country are receiving technical assistance, guidance and resources to succeed in making more informed decisions, tackling local challenges, and delivering more effective services and programs for their residents. Cities in the What Works Cities network also gain access to a collaborative network of peers in cities across the country. For more information, visit whatworkscities.org.