City of Knoxville, TN
01/14/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 01/14/2026 11:47
Knoxville Recognized for Use of Data to Inform, Improve
Knoxville is proud to announce that Results for America has awarded it Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification for establishing exceptional data capabilities to inform policy, allocate funding, improve services, evaluate programs, and engage residents.
The What Works Cities Certification standard reflects the practices, policies, and infrastructure municipalities must have in place to effectively harness data for better decision-making.
"I don't want to collect data for data's sake. I want data to inform action, policy and budget decisions. Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification is a third-party review that gives us credibility that we're on the right path and that we're following best practices. It's more than just lip service, it shows that we're actually getting it done," said Mayor Indya Kincannon.
A notable example of Knoxville's use of data includes its evidence-based violence prevention strategy. After mapping five years of shooting incidents, the city identified a seven-block area with the highest concentration of violence and launched a targeted community safety initiative. Through building relationships with residents, collaboration with community organizations and sharing timely, reliable data across departments, Knoxville's Project TLC Zone recorded no fatal or non-fatal shootings for almost 17 consecutive months.
The What Works Cities Certification program, launched in 2017 by Bloomberg Philanthropies and led by Results for America, is the international standard of data excellence in city governance. The Standard measures a city's use of data based on 43 criteria. A city that achieves 51-67% of the 43 criteria is recognized at the Silver level of Certification, 68-84% is required to achieve Gold, and 85% or more is required to reach Platinum. The program is open to any city in North, Central, or South America with a population of 30,000 or more.
"The cities recognized by Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification exemplify what is possible when city leaders commit to data-driven governance: real results for residents," said Rochelle Haynes, Managing Director of Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities. "By pursuing Certification or advancing to a higher level of recognition, cities are demonstrating and strengthening their dedication to using data to drive progress and deliver better outcomes. While Certified cities are investing in their data capacity to solve today's issues, they are also building sustainable practices that set the stage for a more resilient and innovative future."
"The Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification is one of the largest-ever philanthropic efforts to improve how local governments use data to improve people's lives," said James Anderson, who leads the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. "This work is helping reform-minded mayors across the Americas bring their organizations into the 21st century. Whether to stem housing shortages, reduce traffic fatalities, or improve resident service and responsiveness, city halls are tapping data, digital, and artificial intelligence to rise to the challenge - and we are thrilled to support their progress."
To learn more about the What Works Cities Certification visit whatworkscities.bloomberg.org.
About the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification:
The What Works Cities Certification program, launched in 2017 by Bloomberg Philanthropies and led by Results for America, is the first-of-its-kind standard of excellence for data-informed, well-managed local government. What Works Cities Certification recognizes and celebrates local governments for their exceptional use of data to inform policy decisions, allocate funding, improve services, evaluate the effectiveness of programs, and engage residents.
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 2024, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3.7 billion.
About Results for America:
Results for America is helping decision-makers at all levels of government harness evidence and data to make progress on our greatest challenges. Our mission is to make investing in what works the "new normal," so that when policymakers make decisions, they start by seeking the best evidence and data available, then use what they find to get better results. For more information, visit results4america.org.
The What Works Cities Certification standard reflects the practices, policies, and infrastructure municipalities must have in place to effectively harness data for better decision-making.
"I don't want to collect data for data's sake. I want data to inform action, policy and budget decisions. Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification is a third-party review that gives us credibility that we're on the right path and that we're following best practices. It's more than just lip service, it shows that we're actually getting it done," said Mayor Indya Kincannon.
A notable example of Knoxville's use of data includes its evidence-based violence prevention strategy. After mapping five years of shooting incidents, the city identified a seven-block area with the highest concentration of violence and launched a targeted community safety initiative. Through building relationships with residents, collaboration with community organizations and sharing timely, reliable data across departments, Knoxville's Project TLC Zone recorded no fatal or non-fatal shootings for almost 17 consecutive months.
The What Works Cities Certification program, launched in 2017 by Bloomberg Philanthropies and led by Results for America, is the international standard of data excellence in city governance. The Standard measures a city's use of data based on 43 criteria. A city that achieves 51-67% of the 43 criteria is recognized at the Silver level of Certification, 68-84% is required to achieve Gold, and 85% or more is required to reach Platinum. The program is open to any city in North, Central, or South America with a population of 30,000 or more.
"The cities recognized by Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification exemplify what is possible when city leaders commit to data-driven governance: real results for residents," said Rochelle Haynes, Managing Director of Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities. "By pursuing Certification or advancing to a higher level of recognition, cities are demonstrating and strengthening their dedication to using data to drive progress and deliver better outcomes. While Certified cities are investing in their data capacity to solve today's issues, they are also building sustainable practices that set the stage for a more resilient and innovative future."
"The Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification is one of the largest-ever philanthropic efforts to improve how local governments use data to improve people's lives," said James Anderson, who leads the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. "This work is helping reform-minded mayors across the Americas bring their organizations into the 21st century. Whether to stem housing shortages, reduce traffic fatalities, or improve resident service and responsiveness, city halls are tapping data, digital, and artificial intelligence to rise to the challenge - and we are thrilled to support their progress."
To learn more about the What Works Cities Certification visit whatworkscities.bloomberg.org.
About the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification:
The What Works Cities Certification program, launched in 2017 by Bloomberg Philanthropies and led by Results for America, is the first-of-its-kind standard of excellence for data-informed, well-managed local government. What Works Cities Certification recognizes and celebrates local governments for their exceptional use of data to inform policy decisions, allocate funding, improve services, evaluate the effectiveness of programs, and engage residents.
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 2024, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3.7 billion.
About Results for America:
Results for America is helping decision-makers at all levels of government harness evidence and data to make progress on our greatest challenges. Our mission is to make investing in what works the "new normal," so that when policymakers make decisions, they start by seeking the best evidence and data available, then use what they find to get better results. For more information, visit results4america.org.
City of Knoxville, TN published this content on January 14, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on January 14, 2026 at 17:47 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]