Effective use of data and AI earns Hamilton global certification [Video]

The City of Hamilton is one of 21 new cities, including the first four in Canada, to achieve What Works Cities Certification from Bloomberg Philanthropies for effectively harnessing data and artificial intelligence to solve the complex challenges facing communities – from housing shortages and disaster preparedness to crime and childhood education.

Hamilton, along with Edmonton and Winnipeg, achieved silver status while Calgary earned gold certification for creating a solar calculator for residents to estimate their energy costs using advanced analytics, light detection and ranging data and three-dimension building models.

The What Works Cities Certification standard reflects the practices, policies, and infrastructure municipalities must have in place to effectively harness data for better decision-making.

Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath said the certification highlight’s the city’s commitment to enhance customer service, transparency, and efficiency and thanked staff for making it happen.

“This focus will strengthen public confidence in our evidence-based decision-making.”

A key example of the city’s …