Issue link: https://resources.esri.ca/i/778281
The rapid increase in urban popu-
lations in Canada and around the
world is prompting cities to adapt
by changing the way they operate.
Today, more than half of the world's
seven billion people live in cities;
and, according to the United Nations
Department of Economic and Social
Affairs' Population Division, an addi-
tional 2.5 billion people are expected
to live in cities by 2050, as a result
of both migration and population
growth.
Cities need to operate "smarter" to
accommodate and effectively support
the massive increase in residents.
Not only must they build capacity
to address the growing size of their
population; they must also provide
inclusive services as their population
becomes more diverse, both cultur-
ally and demographically.
Municipal resources will always
be limited, and it may seem that there
is little that local governments can do
to improve upon their current service
programs or pursue new initiatives.
The challenge is not to work harder,
but to work smarter, using resources
that may already exist in the munici-
pality.
Data is a good example. Munici-
palities collect vast amounts of data,
much of which is typically used only
for a specific application or by a few
departments. There is significant
potential in harnessing these various
datasets to improve decision making,
increase efficiency, enhance citizen
engagement, and drive innovation
KAREN STEWART is the
Municipal Solutions Industry
Manager for Esri Canada, which
provides enterprise geographic
information system (GIS) and
municipal solutions. She has
more than 30 years of experi-
ence in the municipal/utility
mapping, GIS, and public works
fields, having worked previously at the City of Sur-
rey and Township of Langley in British Columbia.
Karen can be reached at