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America's first "Chief Storyteller"; sharing data to protect newborns; cooling down Los Angeles; and the next wave of Vision Zero initiatives
Government Innovators Network
 
October 19, 2017
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WHAT'S NEW


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Protecting Newborns from Harm with Data-Sharing

Innovators Insights Blog

This post examines the efforts of a handful of states to implement interagency data-sharing through a policy known as Birth Match to protect newborns from potential harm. Read more>>

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Cities and the Lessons of the Great Amazon Hunt

Better, Faster, Cheaper

Amazon's competition for the site of its next headquarters is a good reminder that cities need to be nimbler than ever, looking for better ways to leverage local talent and institutions to ensure that their residents are the real winners. Read more>>

IN THE NEWS


Rhode Island to Implement Post-Election Audits

Rhode Island has become one of the first states to formalize post-election “risk-limiting” audits to ensure that equipment and procedures used to count votes are working properly. Under the legislation, the state Board of Elections would be authorized to manually review machine-counted ballots after an election in an effort to deter fraud, uncover programming errors and equipment malfunctions, and to confirm results or determine whether a recount is needed. Only Colorado currently requires risk-limiting audits.

Columbus Builds on Free Bus Pass Pilot

Columbus, Ohio, recently announced a plan to give downtown workers and residents free bus passes for two and a half years starting next summer. The move is part of an effort to boost bus ridership, cut down on solo driving, and ease parking congestion, which has led to high vacancy rates in downtown office buildings. The unprecedented funding model calls for the passes to be paid for in part by a self-imposed increase in property taxes on downtown property owners.

Detroit Redefined: City Hires America's First Official 'Chief Storyteller'

To combat negative stereotypes about the city and to remind its citizens of their heritage, Detroit recently hired a “chief storyteller,” a local citizen whose job is to shed light on the varied and diverse neighborhoods and residents of the city. Believed to be the first position of its kind, the person hired for the role, who is a popular regional journalist, looks for ways to cover issues and experiences that are not typically discussed in the traditional media. The stories and first-person accounts being assembled by the storyteller and his small staff are being distributed through social media, public access channels, and a website.

New Inspector General Website Allows Public to Oversee Watchdog Work

To increase transparency, the investigative work of inspectors general (IGs) from across the federal government can now be found in a single online location. The Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency has unveiled Oversight.gov, a one-stop shop that collects and aggregates reports from 73 federal IGs that examine waste, fraud, and abuse from across the government. Users can search among the thousands of reports by topic, and a dashboard tracks the types of reports issued and the potential cost savings identified per year. Other federal employees will benefit from best practices and lessons learned that are shared through the site.

Cities Look to Public Restrooms to Clean up Downtowns, Attract Tourists

Cities across the US are reconsidering the public restroom as a means of keeping cities clean and inviting. Not only do strategically placed facilities offer a place for people to relieve themselves during big events and for the homeless to use on a regular basis, they also encourage more visitors to downtown areas when they know a restroom will be available. Denver places three-stall mobile bathrooms, with lights, running water, flush toilets, and an attendant, at certain areas around the city. Other cities, such as Portland (Oregon), San Antonio, San Francisco, and Seattle have experimented with placing stand-alone restrooms around their cities.

Can Reflective Pavement Cool Off LA’s Streets?

To combat the “heat island effect” that can take hold in the urban corridors of Los Angeles, the city is testing the use of “cool pavement” to lower temperatures. City workers are painting roads with a light-gray reflective surface that can help lower temperatures and energy use, and reduce the threat of deaths linked to increasingly extreme heat waves. Observers note that research still needs to determine whether energy expended and greenhouse gases emitted through the manufacture and application of the surface coating are offset by the benefits.

DATA-SMART CITY SOLUTIONS


Can Better Data Make Zero Traffic Deaths a Reality?

This post examines the innovations that are moving cities closer to Vision Zero’s goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities and severe injuries. The next wave of Vision Zero initiatives seeks to fill gaps in data in order to improve understanding of the causes of collisions and inform interventions.

From Research to Results: Measuring Trust in City Agencies

This installment of Data-Smart's From Research to Results series highlights a paper from the International Review of Administrative Sciences that outlines and tests a method for measuring citizen trust in government organizations. Using the model presented in this paper, cities can gain a better understanding of residents' trust in municipal agencies and work to improve it.

 

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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