Signal 1: Apply Analytics to Regulate NYC Rental Market
In 2017, the NYC Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics (MODA) started to use data analytics to fight the outrageously high prices and income discrimination that existed in New York City rental market.
Although the long-term success of MODA in regulating rental market is yet to be proven, MODA immediately empowered itself with abilities that traditional departments and agencies do not possess. By collecting and analyzing datasets across different departments, MODA is able to use the insight given by the data to effectively improve policy.
The participation of MODA in the regulation of the rental market demonstrates perfectly how cities can leverage the power of data analytics. There are still many major problems like waste management, energy distribution, and crime that exist in big cities all around the world. By applying data analytics, most of these problems are highly likely to be solved or at least be relieved.
In order to facilitate the utilization of data analytics in solving urban problems, governments should accelerate the digitization of data from all departments along with the publication of city and government’s data. Moreover, governments should also promote collaboration between government departments and private or public data analytics agencies.
