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This week: The Innovations in American Government Awards, the end of garbage in NYC, and data analytics in New Orleans
Government Innovators Network 
 
May 14, 2015
In This Issue

Feature: Innovations in American Government Awards

In the News

Data-Smart City Solutions

Better, Faster, Cheaper

Innovations in American Government Award logo

Innovations in American Government Award

Join us as each of the nine finalist programs for the Innovations in American Government Award make a presentation to the Innovations National Selection Committee at Harvard Kennedy School. This event will be live-streamed on May 20 at 1:30 pm EDT. Learn more>>

IN THE NEWS


New York City's bold plan to end garbage

New York City has unveiled an ambitious goal of dramatically reducing its waste output by 2030, including its commercial waste by 90 percent. The Zero Waste plan will include a host of initiatives, such as single stream recycling, incentives to reduce waste related to food containers and packing material, expansion of a composting program to schools and businesses, coordination with private trash haulers, and tax incentives to coordinate compliance. The city also hopes to end the export of its trash out-of-state.

Innovative parking signs could curb Los Angeles confusion

By overhauling some of its street parking signs, Los Angeles is piloting a simple design solution to help make parking less confusing. The new signage serves to clarify to drivers where they can park, when they can, and how much it will cost in a bar graph format that represents restrictions pictorially. Although cities profit from parking citations, officials hope to decrease the number of parking citations issued that are due to misunderstandings of posted signs. Researchers will study the efficacy of the signage, which may serve as model for other cities.

NY Launching Pilot Program to Teach Immigrants English Via Mobile Phones

New York State wants to teach English to immigrant residents using audio and text lessons sent right to their cell phones. The state will target farm workers in the “dairy belt” of the state in the Finger Lakes and North Country regions, as well as the Hudson Valley and New York City. The free program, believed to be the first-of-its-kind, will only be subject to the normal text and minute limits of the user's cell phone plan.

Walnut Creek has green-light alert for drivers

Walnut Creek, California, has unveiled a mobile app that notifies motorists when the light is about to change by sounding a chime. Officials hope that the new app, called “EnLighten,” will smooth traffic and prevent accidents by helping to refocus distracted drivers that they are about to engage in driving again. The app was developed in partnership between the city, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and Connected Signals, a start-up.

Colorado distributes cold case playing cards to find more clues to unsolved crimes

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is providing thousands of decks of playing cards to local law enforcement agencies and detention centers that feature photos of unsolved homicide victims, hoping to get people to help solve these cold cases. On each card, a few details for each case are provided, along with the bureau’s phone number. The first deck produced equates to 52 unsolved cases, and officials are creating two additional decks. Officials note that other states have had success with the cards, which have led to 40 cases being solved across 17 states.

Students to get 'real' ballots for ASB elections

In Washington State, the King County Elections Office has created realistic ballots for high school students in the Renton School District to use when casting their votes for student government. The goal of the simulated ballots is to help demystify the process of registering to vote, hopefully leading to motivated voters when the students turn 18 years old.

DATA-SMART CITY SOLUTIONS


Questions to Guide Regulatory Policy Development

Comparing policy options in a way that involves stakeholders is crucially important when undertaking regulatory reform. This white paper by Quinton Mayne outlines some key questions that officials can ask themselves in order to help them work across internal silos and engage external actors.

BETTER, FASTER, CHEAPER


Where There's Smoke, There’s Data

The city of New Orleans created a cross-departmental unit focused on using data to improve government performance. Its first program is using data analytics to get smoke alarms into the buildings that need them the most.

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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