Bloomberg Philanthropies Expands International City Data Alliance with 15 New Municipalities Across the Americas

Local governments will receive expert support to modernize crucial resident services through advanced analytics, digital technology, and AI

City Data Alliance grows to 80 cities from 12 countries, serving 78 million residents

New York, NY – Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced that 15 municipalities from across the Americas will join its City Data Alliance. Established by Bloomberg Philanthropies in 2022 with a $60 million investment, the City Data Alliance is designed to help municipalities across North, Central, and South America with populations of 100,000 or more accelerate their data use to better serve their communities. There are now 80 cities in the Alliance from 12 countries, representing 78 million residents.

As emerging technologies increasingly succeed at cutting costs, speeding benefits, forecasting weather, modeling responses, designing infrastructure, and enhancing resident satisfaction, these local governments will receive expert support to build on their strong data practices – applying the next generation of digital and artificial intelligence tools to create housing, reduce homelessness, make areas kid-friendly, install parks within walking distance of neighborhoods, and more.

“City halls aren’t waiting for the future—they’re building it,” said James Anderson, who leads the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. “The Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance is backing localities to lead in the age of AI. These municipalities will show the world how government can be faster, smarter, and fair—using data and technology to meet real needs, deliver efficiently, and make measurable progress people feel.”

Despite nearly universal mobile access, many governments still rely on paper-based processes that cost residents time and money – whether applying for a permit or small business license, accessing SNAP benefits or housing vouchers, or reporting street or sanitation issues. Generative AI offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernize these systems—enabling municipalities to anticipate problems, tailor responses, and target resources where they are needed most. With the right coaching and capacity, data-savvy cities can seize the moment and deliver tangible results, building trust with citizens along the way.

The 15 new Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance municipalities are:

NORTH AMERICA:

The United States:

• Austin, Texas
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Dallas, Texas
• Denver, Colorado
• Kansas City, Missouri
• Newport News, Virginia

Canada:

• Toronto, Canada

SOUTH AMERICA:

Argentina:

• Vicente Lopez, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Brazil:

• Belo Horizonte, Brazil
• Porto Alegre, Brazil
• São Paulo, Brazil

Chile:

• Lo Barnechea, Chile
• Santiago, Chile

Colombia:

• Bogota, Colombia
• Medellin, Colombia

The program pairs cutting-edge practice in integrating the latest technological innovations with real-world problem-solving. Participants receive technical assistance to upskill staff and capabilities; access to innovation specialists to put residents at the heart of systems and policymaking; and a network of forward-thinking peers with which to exchange strategies.

Cities in the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance have already:

• Used data to identify people at high-risk of gun violence in Baltimore, Maryland. The city employed a group violence reduction strategy that led to a historic reduction in homicides in 2023 and 2024, including a 33 percent murder drop in one of its most violent sections. Baltimore also worked with the City Data Alliance to launch a Data Academy, an online data training program that will upskill over 500 city employees.
• Accelerated assistance programs, improved police recruitment, and streamlined housing applications in Seattle, Washington, backed by a citywide data strategy devised with residents in local hackathons. Today, applications for social benefits take just six minutes to complete – five times faster than before – and digital permitting has reduced costly corrections. The city’s police force now uses data to apply pay raises, reach more candidates, and speed up hiring.
• Prompted deployment of emergency and recovery resources in hurricane vulnerable Tampa, Florida. In 2024, during Hurricanes Helene and Milton, real-time data identified hard-hit locations, informed the delivery of aid, and made it possible for workers to remove 1 million cubic yards of debris and collect a football field’s worth of waste piled two feet high every day. As a result, Tampa met the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s deadline for removal three weeks ahead of schedule, enabling residents to resume their daily lives.
• Improved water service in Luján de Cuyo, Argentina, where desert-like surroundings and a growing population have strained the Tupungato River, the city’s only water source. With the program’s support, the municipality can analyze live data, identify trends, and predict shortages so staff can respond quickly and plan ahead. A chatbot, Luji, now provides tailored water use recommendations so families can conserve the supply they need.
• Instituted a more effective response to extreme rainfall in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where officials are using meteorological data to develop a real-time Early Warning and Alert System. Residents will be able to obtain fast, accurate, and reliable information on potential floods before they strike.

“Austin has an ambitious aim: to make our city the best place in America to be a kid,” said Mayor Kirk Watson of Austin, Texas. “By joining the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance, we’ll accelerate our use of analytics, digital, and artificial intelligence to get there – creating the services, spaces, and experiences we need to get it done, and putting the policies and practices in place to ensure our city leads the way.”

“Ending street homelessness and getting people into permanent housing has long been a top priority in Denver,” said Mayor Mike Johnston on Denver, Colorado. “We have made historic progress towards achieving these goals by cutting street homelessness by 45% in just two years, and in partnering with the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance I am confident that we will accomplish even more. The key to sustained progress is reliable systems built to last and keep our initiatives running long after we are gone, and this ambitious coalition of local leaders will help us tap into new technology to deliver the progress our residents deserve.”

“As Boston works to be a home for everyone and continues moving forward, it’s more important than ever to make smart decisions, use our resources effectively, and incorporate feedback and improvements to do more and better,” said Mayor Michelle Wu of Boston, Massachusetts. “The Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance accelerates data, digital, and AI within city governments so we can lead the way in delivering results. I’m grateful for our partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies and look forward to Boston’s participation in this program to better support our residents and families.”

“Imagine a city that fixes problems before residents even have to report them,” said Mayor Quinton Lucas of Kansas City, Missouri. “That’s not a pipe dream, it’s the future, one Kansas City will be building as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance, which will help us reach this vision. Our city hall has long benefited from working with Bloomberg Philanthropies to drive government innovation, and it is an honor to join this international initiative and receive their support to reach further still.”

“City government has a responsibility to not only respond to today’s challenges but to anticipate tomorrow’s,” said Mayor Phillip Jones of Newport News, Virginia. “The Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance equips us with the tools and insights to do just that. By joining this international coalition of forward-thinking cities, Newport News is deepening its commitment to data-driven leadership to strengthen public safety, improve outcomes for youth and families, and ensure that every resident benefits from smarter, more responsive government.”

“Data is a critical foundation for designing public policy, improving services, and governing effectively,” said Mayor Soledad Martínez of Vicente López, Buenos Aires, Argentina. “We are honored to join the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance and take our efforts even further—strengthening how we use analytics, digital tools, and emerging technologies, including AI, to better understand and respond to the evolving needs of our residents – especially those seeking new paths to grow, learn, and work.”

“It is an honor to be selected for this extraordinary effort and build public systems—and policies—that will improve lives today and for generations to come,” said Mayor Ricardo Nunes of São Paulo, Brazil. “The Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance will help us accelerate our aim of a more sustainable, resilient São Paulo—using technology to design solutions, engage residents, and measure results.”

“The mayors in the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance will be on the forefront of harnessing data, analytics, and AI to tackle urban challenges—and seize opportunities,” said Latricia Boone, interim Executive Director of the Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University. “Their municipalities will serve as hubs of innovation—integrating the latest technology to modernize services, streamline permitting, mitigate disasters, and look ahead – in service of improving the outcomes that impact lives daily.”

The Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance is delivered in partnership with the Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence (GovEx) at Johns Hopkins University. The City Data Alliance aligns with and builds on the success of the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification, led by Results for America, a first-of-its-kind standard of excellence for data-informed, well-managed local government.

For more information on the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance, click here.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies:
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2024, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3.7 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and X.

Media Contact:
Sam Fuld,sam@bloomberg.org