Chennai to join the list of 50 data driven cities

C SHIVAKUMAR @ Chennai:

Chennai Smart City will soon figure among the list of more than 50 cities that has been certified by the World Council on City Data Certification (WCCD), the first ever ISO standard for cities.

Once certified, Chennai can work towards emerging as smart and sustainable city with independently verified and globally comparable city data.

Three Indian cities --- Pune, Surat and Jamshedpur have got the certification from World Council on City Data, a global network of data driven cities under the City Data for Indian initiative.

The WCCD ISO 37120 certification if given for Chennai, which is an international standard, published for globally-comparable city data, provides a comprehensive set of indictors to measure the city’s social, economic and environmental performance in relation to other cities.   

Categorized under 17 themes and 100 indicators for city services and quality of life, ISO 37120 certification will guide the city towards a smart, sustainable, resilient, and prosperous future armed with independently verified and globally comparable city data. WCCD certification ensures data reliability with third party verification.

The certification is given to Indian cities after Tata Trusts partnered with WCCD and initiated City Data for India Initiative to explore technology backed models for collecting data and visualization to support evidence-based, data-driven governance and decision making.

The move to seek WCCD certification comes as Chennai’s smart city proposal features in the top 20 best propositions proposed by the cities in the country.

Sources indicated that Chennai before joining the City Data for India Initiative has to complete City Participation Agreement and the WCCD Certification and Registration Agreement to formalize its participation.

Once ISO 37120 certified, Chennai will be included in WCCD’s Global Cities Registry. The data pertaining to the city is then available on WCCD’s Open City Data Portal and can be accessed by civic bodies, state and central authorities, international bodies and the public.

According to United Nations (UN) report, 54 per cent of the world’s population currently live in cities, and by 2050, this proportion will increase to 66 per cent. It is learnt that data on cities will help policy makers and city planners steer and measure the performance of city services and quality of life.

1.  The World Council on City Data is the first ISO standard certification for cities

2.  More than 50 countries are part of the global network of data driven cities

3.  Chennai is vying for certification as its smart city proposal features in the top 20 best propositions proposed by the cities in the country

4.  Once ISO 37120 certified, Chennai will be included in WCCD’s Global Cities Registry.

5.  The data pertaining to the city is then available on WCCD’s Open City Data Portal and can be accessed by civic bodies, state and central authorities, international bodies and the public

6.  A comprehensive set of indictors will measure the city’s social, economic and environmental performance in relation to other cities.  

7.  It will help the city compete with global cities and ensure world class civic and other services are provided to Chennaites