One of only 15 municipalities in Canada to be part of pilot project

RICHMOND HILL – The City of Richmond Hill has earned the highest level of ISO 37120 certification from the World Council on City Data (WCCD) as part of the “Data for Canadian Cities Pilot Project”. Through the ISO 37120 certification, Richmond Hill joins a global network of 100 cities across more than 30 countries – including a network of 30 Canadian cities of all sizes.

The three-year project, funded by Canada’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Communities, facilitates the collection of standard indicators at the municipal level in year one. As the project continues into years two and three, Richmond Hill will be able to both measure progress over time and also to assess performance and learn from other cities locally and globally using an “apples-to-apples” comparison. WCCD will assist Richmond Hill and other participating municipalities to use the data to improve city services and quality of life for citizens.  

Richmond Hill was able to collect data to support over 90 out of the 104 indicators within ISO 37120, which then underwent independent verification.

Richmond Hill’s ISO 37120 platinum certification will be presented virtually by representatives of the WCCD to the Mayor and Council at the October 28 Council meeting.

Quotes

“This certification demonstrates our commitment to measuring our progress as a City and using that data to improve services and quality of life in Richmond Hill. As the project continues, we will continue to benefit from more robust comparators and also help others throughout the world by openly sharing our data. It’s one of the ways we are making sure our city continues to be a great place to live and a smart place to invest.”

-       Dave Barrow, Mayor

“The City of Richmond Hill is pleased to be part of the Data for Canadian Cities Pilot Project and show our commitment to tracking and understanding data to learn and improve. That’s what makes our city a place people will want to be for years to come.”

-       Mary-Anne Dempster, City Manager

"The City Council and Staff of Richmond Hill are well known for their commitment to providing exceptional public service to the entire community. Moreover, the City's work in leveraging data to drive a more prosperous, inclusive, sustainable, resilient and prosperous future has marked the City as an exceptional example both in Ontario and globally. On behalf of the WCCD, it is my pleasure to award the City of Richmond Hill with WCCD's ISO 37120 Platinum Certification through the federally-supported “Data for Canadian Cities Project.”  With your continued participation in this important, three-year Project, the WCCD looks forward to supporting the City in its commitment to exceptional service delivery. Congratulations to Mayor Barrow, City Council and all of the dedicated staff on this significant achievement." 

-       WCCD President and CEO, Dr. Patricia McCarney

"All communities, large and small, need good data to plan and build modern public infrastructure. Meeting global data standards is critical. Through the Data for Canadian Cities Project, in partnership with the World Council on City Data, we've been helping municipal leaders in a number of communities across Canada do just that. I am delighted that the City of Richmond Hill has obtained the ISO standard for municipal data. This will help the City plan projects with quality data and will help guide evidence-based decision-making. Canada's infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country and builds stronger communities."

-       The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

Quick Facts

• The World Council on City Data (WCCD) was founded in 2014 and exists to help communities of all sizes – in Canada and across the globe – to embrace standardized, independently verified and globally comparable city data to become more sustainable, resilient, prosperous inclusive and smart.
• ISO 37120 sustainable Cities and communities – Indicators for city services and quality of life is an internationally-recognized certification and uses 104 standardized indicators, across 19 themes, to measure a city's social, economic and environmental performance. To achieve platinum certification, Richmond Hill was required to report on 90 of these indicators.

Media Contact

Libbi Hood, Communications Advisor

416-522-2816, libbi.hood@richmondhill.ca