The City of Austin has been selected to join the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance, a leading coalition of local governments from across the Americas accelerating their data use to better serve communities.

As emerging technologies increasingly succeed at cutting costs, speeding benefits, forecasting weather, modeling responses, designing infrastructure, and enhancing resident satisfaction, Austin will receive expert support to build on its 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.

“Austin has an ambitious aim: to make our city the best place in America to call home,” said Austin Mayor Kirk Watson. “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.”

“The Alliance is a perfect fit for our city’s dynamic tech economy,” said Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax. “Accelerating the use of the latest technologies will help create even greater efficiencies in providing vital city services to our diverse populations.”

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 program pairs cutting-edge practice in integrating the latest technological innovations with real-world problem-solving. Austin will 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. 

“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.” 

The 15 new Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance municipalities include two Texas cities: Austin and Dallas, Texas; Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Bogota, Colombia; Boston, Massachusetts; Denver, Colorado; Kansas City, Missouri; Lo Barnechea, Chile; Medellin, Colombia; Newport News, Virginia; Porto Alegre, Brazil; Santiago, Chile; São Paulo, Brazil; Toronto, Canada; and Vicente Lopez, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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. There are now 80 cities in the Alliance from 12 countries, representing 78 million residents.

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