GIS technologies have helped Melbourne become one of the top 20 innovative cities in the world, according to an index by 2thinknow.

The city is using GIS technologies to plan and coordinate the delivery of public services as part of the Future Melbourne strategy, which aims to improve the knowledge economy in the city.

The City of Melbourne’s GIS team updated the technology platform and improved data resources, and digital cartography functions to provide a broader spatial information service.

It also created a single web interface that gave planners, urban designers, engineers and local government access to 3D visualizations of the city, and local authorities such as Hume are now using the improved GIS facilities to improve a whole range of public services, including rubbish collection, street repairs and asset management.

Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said achieving 19th position out of 289 cities cemented Melbourne’s reputation as an international city focused on industry, education and new ideas.

“Melbourne is a city that has worked hard to be recognised for its knowledge capabilities,” he said.