Ted Wong

Ted Wong is a Research and Project Associate on the Data & Tools team at World Resources Institute Ross Center for Sustainable Cities.  WRI’s motto is, “Count it, change it, scale it.” The implied approach is to build or select a data-based framework and to support governments in implementing that framework. A common challenge in scaling data-based frameworks is the absence of high-quality local data. For example, cities following the GHG Protocol for Cities require detailed data on citywide energy consumption and waste production—data that can be difficult to pry from utilities and other private actors. WRI’s strategy is to fill local data gaps with carefully repackaged global data. This talk will explore WRI’s use of global datasets to support local decision-making. Ted Wong will introduce recent collaborations between WRI and city governments relating to climate, biodiversity, and urban form, and will discuss principles and challenges of making global data useful for local governments—particularly in cities with limited analytical capacity.

If you require any accessibility accommodation, such as live captioning, audio description, or a sign language interpreter, please email news@design.upenn.edu to let us know what you need. Please note, we require at least 48 hours’ notice. If you register within 48 hours of this event, we won’t be able to secure the appropriate accommodations.