Canada
John Tory
2,800,000 (2016)
Alice Xu
Improve service delivery
Improve resident outcomes
Save costs and improve efficiency within the public sector
Dedicated funding
Focus on measurement
Dedicated innovation team
Human resource support
Culture of innovation in city
Engagement with partners
Support from outside city administration
Leadership from Mayor
The City of Toronto has innovation embedded (and funded via separate operating budgets) in many areas throughout the City. Toronto also plans to make the return on investment in innovation more transparent. With an active interest in driving innovation that truly benefits Torontonians, the city is convinced that the human-centered design approach to innovation can yield better customer service experience and more trust in local government. Toronto is currently exploring how to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to identify policy levers that can improve housing outcomes to drive better health overall.
Along with 50% of cities surveyed, Toronto does not have an explicit innovation strategy. Similar to more than half of cities surveyed, Toronto approaches innovation capacity both from a holistic/macro level, as well as in specific policy areas.
Housing/homelessness: Toronto is exploring how to use AI to find policy levels that will increase housing outcomes to drive better health overall.
Situated in the Chief Technology Officer's Technology Services Division, Toronto’s Smart City team consists of 6 staff. Toronto’s Transformation and Innovation team, made up of 6 staff, is also working on innovation in the city.
Taking risks or testing new ideas
Data-driven analytics/public data management
Engaging residents in new ways
Developing new solutions based on digital technologies
Organizational change within the municipality
Human-centered design
Rethinking your city’s approach to financing partnerships
Like 81% of cities surveyed, Toronto has dedicated funding to support innovation capacity.
Similar to 61% of participating cities in the 2020 survey, Toronto's funding for innovation capacity is also directed towards training staff and building capacity*.
*"Training staff and building capacity" is not an option in the 2018 survey, while "Launching or sustaining a project" is not an option in the 2020 survey.
Toronto has developed partnerships to promote innovation capacity with other public agencies, private firms, not-for-profit organizations, and city residents/resident associations.
To improve data use, the city has also developed data partnerships with the private sector, academia and think tanks, to collect and analyze data, as well as with other cities.