Data opens Welland up to the world
Certification awarded to Rose City links it to global network
Data is the universal language and it’s a language Welland speaks well, according to the World Council on City Data (WCCD) as it awarded the city Platinum Status for achieving certification.
“What this means for Welland is that is has joined an incredible network of cities across the globe that are very committed to data,” said Patricia McCarney, WCCD’s president and chief executive officer, after presenting the city its certificate Tuesday.
Some of those cities include Shanghai, Dubai, London, Johannesburg, Los Angeles and Buenos Aires. Welland is among 10 cities in Canada that have achieved the ISO 37120 Sustainable Development of Communities: Indicators for City Services and Quality of Life international certification.
McCarney said before ISO 37120, cities would have a lot of data for things such as air quality, emergency response times, garbage collection and more.
“But it wasn’t necessarily comparing apples to apples. Not everyone was measuring data the same, every city had a different definition or methodology. Now they can have a data discussion with municipalities across Ontario or across the world.”
McCarney said under the certification, all of the data is thirdparty verified and trusted.
“So, it’s not just the City if Welland saying it has the cleanest air around. The data is WCCD certified and on an open platform.”
When the WCCD was developing its certification status, it believed it was building a standard that would help drive sustainable development in cities, improve quality of life and create more efficient service.
“It was about government efficiency,” said McCarney.
What WCCD found was, that when asked, cities wanted to use data to attract investment.
“We are now building an investable cities index that the
City of Welland will be a part of. It
helps to showcase the city on a global stage,” said McCarney.
Mayor Frank Campion, who accepted the certification with Welland’s GIS co-ordinator, Jamie Leitch, said it takes the city beyond its borders.
“We’re already out there, but this really puts us in a very competitive position for growth and in a great position for economic development,” Campion said. “We can use this to attract business.”
The mayor said the city can measure its data against other cities, see what’s worked in other locations and learn from that data.
“We can figure out what the best practices are that make a community a better place to live … offer better services and have a livable city.”
Campion said the city already receives requests for data from potential investors.
“The data gives a snapshot of what’s happening in the city.”
The city’s data can be found at www.welland.ca/open/.
Leitch leads the team at city hall that collects and pulls all the data together and normalizes it before putting it on the city’s website.
“We have 50 sets of data up there now and I’m hoping we can add a lot more. It’s just a matter of branching out to our different divisions and departments and seeing what’s available.”
Leitch said when gathering data, staff have to be mindful of privacy legislation, what’s legally allowed and relevant.