City awarded Platinum Certification from World Council on City Data

Municipalinfonet.com
October 23, 2020

Municipal Information Network provides a direct link to the City’s statement:

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The following statement was issued by Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua after a special presentation during the Oct. 21 Council meeting: 

“The City of Vaughan has been awarded Platinum ISO 37120 certification for 2017 and 2018 from the World Council on City Data (WCCD). This is the highest level of certification from the WCCD, which is a global leader on standardized data that helps to create smart, sustainable, resilient, and prosperous cities.

“The City of Vaughan has also become an early adopter of ISO 37122 -- Indicators for Smart Cities. Once completed, Vaughan will be among the first cities globally certified under this new, demand-driven, smart city standard.

“The World Council on City Data continues to champion the belief that globally comparable data is the essential starting point for innovation, global exchange and smart city development. The global organization hosts a network of innovative cities committed to improving services and the quality of life using open city-data. It also provides a consistent and comprehensive platform for standardized urban metrics.

“In May 2015, the City of Vaughan became a WCCD Certified City. I was pleased to attend the 2017 WCCD Global Cities Summit in Dubai on behalf of the City of Vaughan. Collectively, we share a mandate to build smart, sustainable, inclusive and prosperous cities of the future. I remain committed to this mission. 

“The City of Vaughan is dynamic, vibrant, and one of Canada’s fastest-growing municipalities.  Major city-building initiatives, including the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre and the VMC subway, will continue to benefit from this data sharing partnership.

“In 2018, we established the Mayor’s Smart City Advisory Task Force to focus on creating enhanced opportunities by improving the way data is collected, understood and utilized to safeguard and elevate the quality of life for citizens as well as improve the delivery of public services people and businesses rely on each day.

“In November 2019, I was proud to lead the City of Vaughan’s delegation to Israel. Advancing a Smart City agenda was at the heart of our work in this important international market. We held discussions with representatives from Fuel Choices and Smart Mobility Initiative -- a project led by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. Our delegation also met with researchers at Tel Aviv University, the country's largest post-secondary institution, to discuss the future of Smart City technology and its role in developing autonomous vehicles to improve urban transportation.

“As we look toward the future, we will remain unwavering in our efforts to build a safe, welcoming and engaged city where all people are given every opportunity possible to live happy, healthy and fulfilling lives. From improving infrastructure and roads to recreation and healthcare, taking a Smart City approach to our work is fundamental to delivering efficient, reliable and innovative city-building.

“I am pleased to offer my sincere congratulations to our administration and specifically, to the Transformation and Strategy team for their leadership, passion and dedication to this initiative. This is a remarkable achievement of which you should be very proud.”