In today’s economies, data underpins everything, and urban environments generate large volumes of data, which presents both an opportunity and a challenge to cities. If utilized appropriately, this large quantum of data can help cities develop innovative data-driven solutions for complex urban challenges. An important source of urban insights can come from payment data – collected when people or businesses make and receive digital or card payments. When aggregated, this data can provide a rich snapshot of consumer behavior, preferences, macro and microeconomic trends related to specific industries or services. Well-focused data and responsible public-private data collaboration can translate into improved policymaking for cities, enabling them to adapt their systems to better respond and plan for current and future shocks and stresses.
The ninth session of Cities on the Frontline Speaker Series, 2023, with the support of Visa, focused on ‘Leveraging Payment Data: Public-private Collaboration to Build a More Resilient Urban Future’. To deep dive into the topic, we were joined by Tulsi Parida, Global Director of Government Data Solutions, Visa; Silvina Di Giano, Tourism Research Manager, General Directorate of Market Intelligence and Observatory, Buenos Aires City Tourism Board; and Dr. Ahmad Giffari, Senior Urban Economic Development Planner, Bappeda DKI Jakarta all of who have diverse experiences on opportunities that aggregated payment data can bring to cities. The focus of the panel was to explore how cities can utilize payment data through responsible public–private data collaboration to strengthen multiple city systems, solve multiple challenges, and secure a more resilient future.
The session was moderated by Luis Bonilla, Lead of Partnership and Programs and Nadine Burbar, Events Manager at the Resilient Cities Network.
Key insightful takeaways from the panel were:
- Data is a critical tool that governments can use in their day-to-day decision making and a forward-looking perspective of what’s to come.
- Cities can leverage insights from payments data, mobility data and other datasets to develop an evidence-based methodology for analysis of events, their impact on the local economy and data-driven planning. This can benefit several sectors like city planning, infrastructure and enhanced service provision, improved businesses, tourism and transportation.
- Cities like Buenos Aires are boosting their tourism industry through tools like tourism intelligence system which is an open platform that collects and analyses payment data that helps tailor actionable insights and marketing strategies to meet the needs of diverse consumer segments.
- Jakarta through its TransJakarta, the Jakarta’s bus rapid transit system is using payment data to gain valuable ridership insights into passenger behaviour and usage patterns which is helping the city in route optimization, expansion of routes, scheduling timely services and fleet expansion.
- Financial inclusion for vulnerable communities is crucial and transitioning from cash to digital can provide not just convenience, but access to all government services and financial services that are not accessible otherwise. Data can help governments identify communities in need, and provide an appropriate boost for inclusion.
- It is important to set clear objectives on what is expected from the data. Asking the right questions will help maximize the amount of information and insights that can help cities in better decision making.
- Payment data when combined with other types of information and insights can help cities understand the full picture and come up with innovative solutions to provide better services to the citizens.
- There has been an increasing lack of trust in governments and corporates on use of data and it is hugely important to increase transparency and empowerment of data use. Though consumer empowerment tools like consent mechanisms exist, only when they are made clear and transparent will we see a more trustworthy citizens and consumers base.
Tulsi Parida, Global Director of Government Data Solutions, Visa
“I think the best way to use data well is to think of the user at the center of it. If you measure your success by the success of citizen outcomes and the improvement in citizen outcomes and have them at the center of your design process, that is a really strong best practice”
Silvina Di Giano, Tourism Research Manager, General Directorate of Market Intelligence and Observatory, Buenos Aires City Tourism Board
“Everyday, there are opportunities for innovation when it comes to data. The potential sources of information are growing in number, especially with unstructured and large data sets. Thus, the challenge lies in identifying the potential of this data for decision making. In case of any large data sets it is important to ask the right questions to the data, to clearly define objectives on what you really need to know”
Dr. Ahmad Giffari, Senior Urban Economic Development Planner, Bappeda DKI Jakarta
“One of the challenges is that cities and governments have data in silos in various departments. It is important to approach this in a united way and data integration is needed.”
