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Welcome to the redesigned Innovators Insights newsletter from the Government Innovators Network.
Government Innovators Network 
 
January 29, 2015
In This Issue

What's New

In the News

 

WHAT'S NEW


Data-Smart City Solutions

An Ash Center Project

A labyrinth-like permitting process is a huge barrier to growth for entrepreneurs who are starting small businesses. Boston's mayor has challenged his administration to evaluate and improve the city’s permitting experience. Read more>>

Better, Faster, Cheaper

In partnership with Governing.com

Stephen Goldsmith observes that local officials are finding ways to implement efficient solutions to the challenges surrounding water management. Read more>>

IN THE NEWS


In first, Uber to share ride data with Boston

Uber has agreed to provide a window into its trove of transportation data to the city of Boston, with the goal of easing traffic congestion and leading to smarter city planning. Boston will receive anonymized information from the ride-hailing service, with trip logs showing the date and time each ride began and ended, the distance traveled, and the zip codes where people were picked up and dropped off. Boston officials note that that the move will further the city’s goal of becoming more data-driven when making policy and operations decisions. Boston taxis already provide law enforcement with real-time access to the GPS coordinates of trips, vehicle and driver identification information, as well information on payments and fares.

For disadvantaged kids, school buses now offer Wi-Fi

Disadvantaged children in Salton City, California, are receiving Internet access from a school bus equipped with a Wi-Fi router that parks outside their trailer park community in the evenings when the bus would otherwise be unused.. Although the hot spot is available as long as the battery lasts, which is usually about an hour, the school bus Wi-Fi program, started this fall, is one example of how Salton City is trying to help its low-income residents. The district hopes to expand the number of buses with routers from two to 90. Last year, the district gave every child a tablet computer for use in the school and the home.

LGBT-friendly senior housing opening across U.S. cities

In order to meet the needs of aging gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender boomers, who sometimes face discrimination when trying to obtain housing, a growing number of cities are creating affordable housing targeted to this population. With funding from the city of Chicago and other entities, a nonprofit recently opened the Town Hall development, one of the nation’s first affordable housing complexes for the LGBT-elderly. Similar housing developments have also opened in Minneapolis and Philadelphia, and more projects are in the works in San Francisco and Los Angeles, which opened a similar development in 2007. While these developments are marketed to the LGBT population, none requires identification with the LGBT community to be eligible. According to one estimate, about 3 million Americans that are 65 or older identify as LGBT, and that number is expected to double by 2030.

VDOT uses roadkill for compost through pilot program

The Virginia Department of Transportation is putting roadkill to good use with an accelerated decomposition system that turns its highway carcasses into compost within six weeks. Under the pilot, the state agency is testing the transformation of the animals into plant food, which can then be used to control erosion and help establish grass areas. While the conversion system costs around $140,000, officials note that the roadkill collected by the agency costs nearly $4 million a year for disposal. Several other states also compost roadkill.

Arizona Becomes First State to Require Students to Pass Civics Test

High school students in Arizona will soon be the first in the country required to pass the citizenship test normally given to immigrants in order to graduate. The goal of the new legislation is to ensure that students have a basic understanding of government in order to be more engaged citizens. Other state legislatures are expected to consider similar legislation this year. Some educators are criticizing the new law, asserting that the test is based on rote memorization and does little to encourage civic involvement.

Driverless Car Test Districts Are Coming

Governments continue to take steps to create a future of driverless vehicles. In the United Kingdom, the cities of Greenwich, Milton Keynes, Coventry, and Bristol will operate official driverless car test districts for 1.5 to 3 years, allowing the cars to not only be beta-tested but also to help the public begin accepting their presence. The University of Michigan is readying a July opening of its own “M City,” a 32-acre testing and proving grounds for connected and driverless vehicles. Experts acknowledge, however, that the technology is still in its early stages.

 

ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER


Innovators Insights is the news digest from the Government Innovators Network on the latest in government innovations. This digest is sent out every two weeks and is compiled and written by the editorial staff of the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School. In each issue, the editorial team identifies top policy and programmatic news that is related to government innovations so that you can stay informed about creative government at its best.

Editor: Jessica Engelman
Researcher & Writer: Brendan St. Amant
Note: The stories in this newsletter link to source articles on other websites and may not be available after a certain length of time.



ABOUT THE ASH CENTER


The Roy and Lila Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation advances excellence in governance and strengthens democratic institutions worldwide. Through its research, education, international programs, and government innovations awards, the Center fosters creative and effective problem solving and serves as a catalyst for addressing many of the most pressing needs of the world's citizens. The Ford Foundation is a founding donor of the Center. Additional information about the Ash Center is available at http://ash.harvard.edu.

 
 
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