San José Mayor Matt Mahan to Join Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance, An International Consortium Advancing Data and AI Use to Improve Lives
Mayor Mahan is one of 23 mayors whose cities will receive operational support and technical assistance to build leading data and artificial intelligence practices and infrastructure in their city halls
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2024
Media Contact:
Tasha Dean, Chief Communications Officer, Office of Mayor Matt Mahan; [email protected]
SAN JOSÉ, CA - Today, San José Mayor Matt Mahan announced San Jose has been selected to participate in the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance, alongside a total of 23 mayors from North America, South America, and the Caribbean. As part of the Alliance, San José will receive multi-year operational and technical coaching on how to leverage data and artificial intelligence to assess needs, strengthen services, and codify policies that enshrine and spread results-based practices across City Hall. The aim of these efforts is to enhance government delivery and resident outcomes on the issues they care about most such as improving public safety, reducing homelessness, and expanding affordable housing.
“Residents are tired of seeing governments spend more and achieve less, which is why I’ve fought for greater transparency through public dashboards that measure the impact of every dollar directed towards fighting crime, reducing homelessness and other top priorities,” said San José Mayor Matt Mahan. “I’m honored to represent San José in the City Data Alliance's third cohort, where we will share and learn with cities worldwide, leveraging data and AI to increase government performance and accountability.”
Over the course of a two-day summit beginning on June 27, Mayor Mahan, alongside the other new program mayors—together representing 9 countries and over 8 million residents—will meet with fellow international mayors and renowned data, innovation, technology, and urban policy experts at Johns Hopkins University. Together, they will lay the groundwork to build a data infrastructure that allows San José to lead with evidence to improve people’s lives.
“Through the City Data Alliance, more cities are now using data across city hall agencies to tackle their toughest challenges, from expanding affordable housing to improving public transportation,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and 108th mayor of New York City. “Today we’re glad to welcome 23 more cities to our program and provide them with the tools, support, and connections they need to capitalize on emerging technologies and put data to work on behalf of their residents.”
“Cities that are harnessing the extraordinary amount of data out there are better positioned to understand resident needs, source innovative solutions, and lead from the front when it comes to artificial intelligence,” said James Anderson, who leads the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. “The mayors of these 23 cities want to put their municipal governments in the driver’s seat when it comes to leveraging data – and the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance will help them develop the policies and practices to do just that.”
The new 23 Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance mayors include:
THE CARIBBEAN:
Dominican Republic:
Mayor Carolina Mejía of Santo Domingo, D.R.
Jamaica:
Mayor Richard Vernon of Montego Bay, JAM
NORTH AMERICA:
Canada:
Mayor Dawn Arnold of Moncton, New Brunswick
Mayor Rob Burton of Oakville, Ontario
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe of Ottawa, Ontario
The United States:
Mayor Matthew Mahan of San José, CA
Mayor Matthew Tuerk of Allentown, PA
Mayor Kelly Girtz of Athens-Clarke County, GA
Mayor Eric Genrich of Green Bay, WI
Mayor Jon Mitchell of New Bedford, MA
Mayor Justin Elicker of New Haven, CT
Mayor André Sayegh of Paterson, NJ
Mayor Eduardo Martinez of Richmond, CA
Mayor Jane Castor of Tampa, FL
Mayor John Carli of Vacaville, CA
SOUTH AMERICA:
Argentina:
Mayor Esteban Allasino of Luján de Cuyo, AR
Mayor Ramón Lanús of San Isidro, AR
Mayor Rossana Chahla of San Miguel de Tucumán, AR
Mayor Diego Valenzuela of Tres de Febrero, AR
Chile:
Mayor Pablo Silva Perez of San Fernando, CL
Colombia:
Mayor Jorge Humberto Rivas Urrea of Rionegro, COL
Guatemala:
Mayor Ricardo Quiñónez Lemus of Ciudad de Guatemala, GT
Peru:
Mayor Gabriel Antonio Madrid Orúe of Piura, PE
“As artificial intelligence rapidly advances, so too does the opportunity for local governments to put it to work for residents' benefit,” said Amy Holmes, Executive Director of the Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University. “Doing this effectively, however, demands that municipalities have a foundation in place to guide the way data is collected, shared, and utilized through which the promise of new technologies can be harnessed. The Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance—comprised of the most determined data-led mayors across the Americas—brings the sophistication and standards into municipalities so they can leverage every tool available to transform how their governments operate, and we are thrilled to welcome these 23 new cities and support them in all they will be able to do.”
The Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance is delivered in partnership with the Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence (GovEx) at Johns Hopkins University, along with the Behavioral Insights Team and Public Digital. The City Data Alliance aligns 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. Further advancing data leadership in cities, in October 2023, Bloomberg Philanthropies and GovEx launched City AI Connect, a global learning community and digital platform for cities to trial and advance the usage of generative artificial intelligence to improve public services, together. Composed of more than 500 municipal leaders from over 250 cities around the world, City AI Connect is available at no cost for any local government official to use.
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About the City of San José
With nearly one million residents, San José is the largest city in the Bay Area and one of the nation's most diverse and creative. San José’s transformation into a global innovation center in the heart of Silicon Valley has resulted in the world's greatest concentration of technology talent and development.
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 2023, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube Threads, Facebook, and X.