Cities of the Future: Rochelle Haynes Of Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities On How to Create Cities That Are More Productive, Efficient and Sustainable

As urbanization continues to accelerate, the need for cities to become more productive, efficient, and sustainable has never been greater. Innovative approaches and technologies are essential to address challenges such as resource management, transportation, and quality of life. How can we design and implement strategies to build the cities of the future? As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Rochelle Haynes.

Rochelle Haynes has dedicated her career to addressing poverty in vulnerable communities, working across government, nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. She has led initiatives focused on affordable housing, social services, and social impact, including as Vice President at Sesame Workshop, where she scaled the Sesame Street in Communities initiative to serve over 75,000 families. Rochelle currently serves as Managing Director of Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities at Results for America, which 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.

Thank you for joining us! To start, can you share a bit about your early background and how it influenced who you are today?

Growing up in New York City, I was exposed to the stark disparities between communities just a few blocks apart — differences in infrastructure, educational resources, and opportunities. I saw firsthand how much a zip code could determine someone’s access to quality education, safe public spaces, and economic mobility. Those childhood experiences sparked my commitment to bridging economic divides and expanding opportunities for all.

What inspired you to pursue a career in this field, and can you share the story behind your decision?

My parents were both civically engaged and from an early age, I knew I wanted to work in a field in which I could drive change. I started my career in New York City government, focusing on affordable housing and homelessness services. There I saw the power of data to shape better policies and improve public services. Data could pinpoint where interventions were most needed, measure program effectiveness, and hold governments accountable. This realization fueled my passion for data-driven governance, leading me to What Works Cities, where our team helps cities grow their data practices to produce better outcomes for their residents.

What’s the most intriguing or memorable experience you’ve had since starting your career?

One of the most memorable moments in my career was being chief of staff of homeless services in New York City. It was a role that combined my background in housing and social service policy with a deep desire to connect individuals with one of the most basic human rights — a home. In this role and with the responsibility of the position, I would spend time at shelters to better understand the needs of the individuals we were serving but also those of the staff as well as partner organizations. This approach was formed by a belief that well-designed policies, programs or even budget decisions needed to be rooted in engagement from all stakeholders to truly design solutions that could have a lasting impact.

As a successful leader in the industry, which three character traits have been key to your success? Can you provide a story or example for each?

1. Perseverance — Working in homelessness services, I had to navigate urgent crises every day while pushing for long-term solutions and innovations. It required resilience, adaptability, and the ability to keep going, even when progress felt slow.
2. Strategic Thinking — Sustainable solutions need a strategic roadmap. Our What Works Cities Standard of Excellence is the North Star for how local governments use data. The Standard provides a clear data framework for cities, helping them understand where to start and a tailored map forward — all while keeping the big picture goal of resident impact front and center.
3. Collaboration — No single department or leader can solve a city’s challenges alone. I’ve learned that bringing together different stakeholders — city governments, community organizations, and residents — is key to making meaningful progress. When I worked in the NYC Homeless Services Department, we convened a task force of a variety of city agencies — including education, public safety, public hospitals, probation and more — to demonstrate that the work to reduce homelessness was not the role of just one agency. Importantly, we brought data to the table to show each department how their policies and constituents were represented in the shelter system.

What innovative technologies and practices do you believe will be most critical in enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of future cities?

The headline-making technology is AI, and while that could be a game-changer for cities, having a strong data foundation is essential to adopting, navigating and leveraging emerging technology effectively and responsibly. We are working with cities that are exploring AI, in particular, to address their increasing challenges from weather-related emergencies. From Recife, Brazil, to Austin, Texas, to Phoenix, Arizona, cities in the WWC network are using data and AI to mitigate flooding, predict wildfires, identify urban heat islands, and more. We help cities build the tools that allow them to capitalize on the potential of AI and prevent bias, including developing data governance policies and prioritizing transparency and community engagement. The end result is that cities can proactively allocate resources and support their most vulnerable neighborhoods.

How can urban planners and architects design cities that effectively balance economic productivity with environmental sustainability?

Economic productivity and environmental sustainability are not mutually exclusive. The great thing about data is that it not only enables cities to understand their current impact, it also unveils new possibilities for innovation. Data provides a fuller picture. For instance, in Luján de Cuyo, Argentina, the city collected data on informal urban recyclers — people living in poverty who collect recyclables from landfills to sell them. In response, the City launched a workforce development program that hired these residents to lead new recycling efforts.

In what ways can transportation systems be reimagined to improve mobility and reduce the environmental impact in future urban areas?

From data-backed bike lanes to AI-powered traffic lights to using data to support investments in electric buses, there are many levers cities have to increase mobility and boost climate resiliency. Rock Hill, SC, is a great example. The city prioritized geographic data and resident feedback to invest in fare-free, all-electric buses, which doubled ridership and saved 337 metric tons of CO2-equivalent emissions compared to diesel buses in just their first year.

What role do you see public policies playing in the development of smarter, greener cities, and how can governments incentivize sustainable practices?

Governments can directly incentivize green practices, but they also have an incredible opportunity to share their data publicly and empower residents’ decision-making. The City of Calgary, Canada, created a residential solar calculator that helps residents understand the potential for solar energy generation in their homes. It provides an estimate of energy cost savings, greenhouse gas reductions and the investment payback period. Instead of outright subsidizing solar energy, they are collecting, analyzing and publishing data that puts residents in the driver’s seat. The calculator has contributed to a doubling of solar panels installed in single-family homes in 2023 compared to 2022, and community-wide GHG emissions per capita dropped 6.7% during the same period.

How can future cities ensure a high quality of life for all residents while managing rapid urban growth and resource constraints?

Cities can ensure a high quality of life by relying on data-driven policies that impact residents’ lives, from housing to transportation to infrastructure and more. In Burlington, Vermont, leaders are combating rising housing costs by updating the city’s zoning laws. The change allows new types of multi-family housing, such as such as townhomes, duplexes, triplexes and cottage clusters, to be built to fill the gap between single-family homes and large apartment buildings. In 2024, 40 new housing units were permitted under the new code — well more than the 10 per year city planners expected. While the zoning code alone won’t fix Burlington’s housing supply problems, over time, it stands to play an important role in how the city meets its housing goals.

Thank you for all that insight. Now, let’s dive into the core of our interview: What are the “Top 3 Things Cities Need to Make Them More Productive, Efficient and Sustainable”?

1. Citywide Data Culture — One of the hardest and most important keys to city success is building a data culture that transcends administrations. This means formalizing structures, systems and processes that guide how data is used across departments to make decisions. When Mayor Corey Woods of Tempe, AZ (one of only three Platinum-Certified cities) took office he adopted the existing data infrastructure begun under the previous administration and expanded it from there. Data culture ensures data sustainability, meaning that cities don’t start from scratch every few years and residents expect a city hall that prioritizes data.
2. Resident Engagement — Data is not just the numbers. Qualitative data in the form of resident feedback is just as important. Port St. Lucie’s award-winning Citizen Summit is an annual in-person event in which residents of all ages can share their thoughts on the City’s strategic plan. It’s a fun and interactive way to foster civic engagement and encourage residents to directly shape the City’s priorities.
3. A Community — Cities are strongest when they work together. Data-driven local government is a shared journey and we’re proud that the WWC Community is a unique place where hundreds of city staff learn from each other, share challenges, and grow their data practices together.

With your considerable influence, if you could start a movement to make a significant positive impact, what would it be?

I’m excited to already be part of a movement — helping cities harness the power of data to make their communities safer, stronger and resilient. It has been especially rewarding to see the increase in collaboration between city governments and residents. More and more, cities are engaging residents from the start, being transparent about the data they have, and using resident feedback and solutions to shape programs that benefit everyone. At What Works Cities, we’re pushing to move that collaboration from a trend to a norm.

How can our readers stay updated with your work online?

If you’re interested in learning more about What Works Cities and our initiatives, visit whatworkscities.bloomberg.org or sign up for our monthly newsletter. To connect with me directly, feel free to reach out on LinkedIn.

Thank you for sharing these fantastic insights. We appreciate your time and wish you continued success.