Max Nisen discusses how cities like Boston and Edmonton are successfully applying popular trends from the private sector - on topics such as mobility, engagement, big data and innovation - and changing the way we live.
Better engagement through smartphones, developing Facebook games to spur interaction, utilizing big data - these are just some of the lessons that cities are taking from the private sector and applying locally to improve how their cities operate and serve their citizens, writes Nisen. Public sector innovation was the topic of a recent panel hosted by software company SAP and the Brookings Institution.
"For corporations, the challenge is engaging employees and customers; for cities, it's engaging everyone who lives there," says Nisen. Just like businesses, the most innovative cities are becoming more transparent, engaging people through applications and games, focusing more on leadership, competing globally, and moving towards big data. "I think the opportunity for us in city government is to be much more proactive about how we deliver our services," said Bill Oates, Chief Information Officer for the City of Boston.
Mobile applications like Boston's Citizens Connect not only allow residents to easily submit information, said Oates, but also shows officials "who's reporting and where they are and how quickly we respond." One of the great advantages of using smartphones is that cities are putting big data out there and crowdsourcing ideas and applications from the community. "For us, open is a strategy - it's not open data, it's being open," said Oates. "And we believe that government isn't about providing data, government's about providing results and so that's how we think about this." Other platforms like Facebook games, and a pilot project out of Boston called Community PlanIT, help contribute to the interaction between the city and its citizens in fun and rewarding ways.
Cities are also shifting "from being a hierarchical command-and-control, mission-based organization to an organization where the smart, mature professionals just do things based on leadership principles" said Chris Moore, Chief Information Officer for Edmonton. In addition to changing the culture of their business, innovative cities are also using expertise honed locally and exporting it to other locales.
For example, "Edmonton's power and water corporation EPCOR owns and operates systems in the U.S., and brings its profits back to the city," notes Nisen, and the city is opening an office in Beijing in January to provide consulting services. "When was the last time you heard of a city setting up a separate corporation in another country?" asked Moore. He continued, "The best run cities are cities that want to innovate and share their expertise and turn that into new opportunities."
FULL STORY: 10 Trends That Are Changing Cities Forever
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability
The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.