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Los Angeles helps startups get off the ground; Barcelona moves to reduce air pollution and improve conditions for pedestrians; New York City adds advocates for crime victims to police precincts; and new report on municipal innovation
Government Innovators Network 
 
November 17, 2016
In This Issue

Feature: Innovation and the City

What's New

In the News

Data-Smart City Solutions

graphic of city skyline

Innovation and the City

New report from Center for an Urban Future and NYU Wagner

As urban growth has exploded over the past half century, cities have become the drivers of government innovation. From New York to Medellin to Copenhagen, mayors and city managers are finding novel ways to address some of the biggest challenges facing society, whether combating entrenched poverty, financing new infrastructure projects, or protecting the environment. Yet for all the innovative policies taking root in cities across the globe, there are few reliable mechanisms to share what is working. This report, from authors Tom Hilliard and Neil Kleiman, aims to fill the gap. Read more>>

WHAT'S NEW


Denver government building

Revamping Homelessness Assistance in Denver

Innovators Insights Blog

This post highlights ways Denver and other growing municipalities are mitigating the adverse effects associated with economic growth. By harnessing the power of data and implementing creative public policy solutions, communities are providing better services and opportunities to homeless and low-income individuals. Read more>>

apple on pile of books

Innovation in Education: Unleashing the Talent

Better, Faster, Cheaper

In Indianapolis, a nonprofit has recruited talented educators to launch innovative schools in the city, emphasizing the need to give teachers the freedom to be creative in the classroom. These “Innovation Network Schools” are accountable to the Indianapolis Public Schools but grant teachers and administrators the freedom to mold their schools as they see fit. Read more>>

IN THE NEWS


LA Launches Open Source Business Portal

Los Angeles recently unveiled the LA Business Portal, an open-source platform that assists businesses in the city and which is designed to be replicable by other cities. The portal helps small business owners navigate the complex bureaucratic processes that new businesses face on the federal, state, and local levels. The site boasts a startup assistance tool, for example, wherein a budding entrepreneur answers a series of questions about the type of business they want to start and the site generates a customized checklist to help get it off the ground. The site also includes reference information on managing and growing a startup. Because the portal is open source, it can enable other cities to build a similar solution for their local businesses at a fraction of typical costs.

A New Kind of Paramedic for Less Urgent 911 Calls

Recognizing that not every expensive visit to an emergency room is for an actual emergency, some states are using community paramedics — seasoned health professionals — to intervene and address the root causes of the problems that are being reported. One of the largest health-care cost drivers is unnecessary emergency room visits, often by “super-utilizers” — those who use these services more than four times a year. Minnesota has partnered with its hospitals to identify those most frequent visitors, and then proactively sends community paramedics to their homes to address chronic health problems and safety issues. Since the program’s inception, emergency room use by these individuals has decreased by 60 to 70 percent. California has also launched a pilot covering nine cities that uses existing data to determine whether a community paramedic and not an ambulance should be dispatched when 911 has been called.

What New York Can Learn from Barcelona’s ‘Superblocks’

The city of Barcelona, Spain, is testing a new method of improving the city’s walkability through the creation of “superblocks.” The city will cordon off nine square blocks from traffic, freight, and buses, allowing only pedestrians and local vehicles traveling under 10 miles per hour, creating a mini neighborhood of citizen spaces where motor vehicles once held prominence. Planners hope that the move will reduce air pollution and provide a more pleasant environment of plazas, playgrounds, and gardens for those living in increasingly congested areas. Observers note that to gain widespread acceptance, a cultural shift in how people view and use the streets will be required. New York City is observing the Barcelona experiment closely.

Earthquake Simulator Prepares Seattleites for the 'Big One'

Seattle wants to prepare its citizens for a large earthquake with an earthquake simulator. The Big Shaker is a 22-foot trailer that will be set up in the city, outfitted to look like a domestic dwelling, classroom, or office space. Residents will go inside and the whole room will start to rumble and shake in the manner of different magnitudes of earthquakes. Officials hope that the demonstration will get people focused on taking action to prepare for a massive earthquake, from putting together emergency kits to thinking about how to organize a neighborhood response to an emergency.

In Bid to Build Trust, New York City Adds Victims’ Allies in All Precincts

New York City wants to increase the resources available to crime victims by providing special advocates in every police precinct. Over the next three years, two or more of these advocates will be assigned to each station house, and will be tasked with reviewing police files and following up with victims who might be traumatized and confused on how to proceed after a crime has occurred or who could be in further danger. Officials hope that by offering these advocates to help victims deal with the personal issues they are navigating, these individuals will also become trusting enough to reveal what they know to help police solve crimes.

DATA-SMART CITY SOLUTIONS


Pittsburgh’s Regional and Inclusive Approach to Open Data

The Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center is a regional open data platform for Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and other entities in the region. This effective model is housed at a university and works to facilitate collaboration and community engagement with open data.

A Five-Point Plan to Cultivate Citizen Support for Tech Initiatives

A tech champion in a government entity needs to cultivate allies, especially when the innovation presents transformative opportunity. The public is a crucial stakeholder that must be engaged in new technology initiatives through open data, collaboration, trust, transparency, and curation.

 

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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