Jump to navigation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


This week: Los Angeles fights litter with data; an incubator for water technologies in Las Vegas; and Santa Barbara exports its "safe parking" program for the homeless to Los Angeles
Government Innovators Network
 
June 9, 2016
In This Issue

What's New

In the News

Data-Smart City Solutions

Better, Faster, Cheaper

 

WHAT'S NEW


classroom of adults

Harvard Executive Education

Harvard Kennedy School

The Comparative Tax Policy and Administration course examines the latest developments in the design and implementation of tax systems around the world. This ten-day program provides participants with practical tools – along with detailed examples of their application – to help formulate the most appropriate tax policies and tax administration for their particular environments. Apply by June 15>>

chainlinks

Unchaining Blockchain: The Ultimate Transparency Tool?

Innovators Insights Blog

This post delves into the underlying technology behind Bitcoin — blockchain. Almost everybody agrees blockchain is the real game-changing innovation that enabled Bitcoin’s success. However, these are still early days for the technology. Successful use of blockchain has far-reaching implications for improving efficiency and transparency both within government and beyond. Read more>>

IN THE NEWS


Las Vegas Is Betting It Can Become the Silicon Valley of Water

Las Vegas and its environs, long challenged by water scarcity, recently created WaterStart, an incubator of businesses and technologies in the water sector. Innovative technologies being developed and implemented include acoustic devices that listen for leaks, machinery to remove nitrates from well water, and drones that improve irrigation precision. WaterStart aims to be a platform for nascent businesses and technologies to test their concepts. When a test is successful, the businesses can flourish, and they are incentivized to remain in the state, helping to spur economic development and avoid water scares that can adversely affect tourism. The project is a partnership of the city of Las Vegas, the state of Nevada, the University of Nevada’s Desert Research Institute, the regional water authority, and private industry.

A Santa Barbara 'Safe Parking' Program for Homeless People May Be Coming to L.A.

To address the rapid growth of homelessness in the area, Los Angeles is looking to experiment with a nightly “safe parking” program similar to one currently in place in Santa Barbara, California. Santa Barbara has developed a network of locations, from religious institutions to municipal buildings, approved for overnight vehicle parking for residents who sleep in their vehicles. The program eliminated the need for residents to sleep in the street and risk being towed, made it easier to connect them to services, and relieved the neighborhood of street parking overcrowding. Los Angeles is studying the locations where it might pilot its version of the program.

New L.A. Street Database to Guide Cleanup Efforts

To help target resources to effectively address trash and litter problems, Los Angeles has unveiled CleanStat, a comprehensive street-by-street cleanliness assessment system. Modeled after the police tool CompStat, CleanStat is a data-driven initiative that combines dash camera video and a geographic information mapping system to catalog and assess the cleanliness of streets, alleys, and sidewalks to help decision-makers allocate cleanup assistance or dumping enforcement. The system allows residents to track the grade their block is receiving and officials will also hold monthly meetings to discuss street conditions and removal strategies. CleanStat is part of a larger initiative to improve sanitation in the city.

This Philly Library Lends Out Ties to Members on the Job Hunt

To help lower-income patrons present themselves more professionally for job interviews, the Paschalville Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia has started a “tiebrary.” The branch, located in an area with high rates of poverty and unemployment, currently lends out 48 ties that range from conservative to trendy; ties can be checked out for up to three weeks by anyone with a library card. The program was spurred by the Queens Public Library’s “tiebrary” in New York, and complements the job readiness tools and workshops that the Paschalville Branch library already provides. The “tiebrary” is yet the latest example of the evolution of libraries as they respond to their communities’ needs and interests.

GSA, Commerce Partner on New Innovation Lab

The General Services Administration and the Department of Commerce are partnering with the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Civic Innovation and the City Innovate Foundation to launch a new collaborative government workspace that will foster unique solutions to common urban problems. Dubbed “Superpublic,” the lab aims to break the barriers and join together academia, private industry, nonprofits, and different levels of government. Among the initial goals of the collaboration are the continued modernization of government digital services, improvement of transportation, smart cities development, and performance-based procurement.

DATA-SMART CITY SOLUTIONS


Data-Driven Insights on Urban Water Systems

Cities are facing a number of environmental, social, and economic challenges regarding the sustainability of their infrastructure systems. When different city stakeholders refer to different sources of information and have diverging viewpoints, it is difficult to identify successful solutions to these challenges. Responding to this need, Harvard University’s Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure built the Zofnass Information Tool to enable the city of Chelsea, Massachusetts, to start a shared dialogue on water infrastructure issues.

BETTER, FASTER, CHEAPER


Infusing Government with a Data-Driven Culture

To unleash the full potential of data, a city needs a coordinated strategy that overcomes procurement obstacles while encompassing each pillar of its data-directed work. Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter set out to change the data and performance culture of his city during his two terms, which ended in January. Nutter, who was honored by Governing as a Public Official of the Year in 2014, is now a professor of practice in urban policy at Columbia University, a What Works Cities Senior Fellow, and a commentator for CNN. He and former mayor of Indianapolis Stephen Goldsmith recently discussed Nutter's priorities and approach to infusing the culture of municipal government with a steadfast commitment to data and measurable results.

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.

 
 
Copyright © 2016 THE PRESIDENT & FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE