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| Service Delivery |
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For Boston residents who are unable to go downtown to conduct their city business, the “City Hall to Go” truck is delivering a menu of services that normally require a trip to city hall. Residents will be able to pay or dispute parking tickets, pay city taxes, and request vital records, among other services. The mobile office is equipped with laptop computers, wireless Internet access, and requisite paperwork from a host of city departments. The service is targeted at those with limited English or Internet skills who may require special assistance. City officials believe the program is the first of its kind.
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| Technology |
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The Pennsylvania Bureau of Child Support Enforcement is on the forefront of using predictive analytics to improve its rate of recovery of financial support from non-custodial parents. The bureau uses a payment score calculator to determine a “score” that is used to predict how likely a person is to satisfy their obligations. The calculator incorporates approximately 20 demographic variables that the bureau has historically collected, such as a parent’s age, employment status and history, residential stability, and number of current child support cases to determine a score. The bureau has been able to leverage this knowledge to tailor its outreach and interventions to non-custodial parents accordingly, leading to higher compliance and stemming the need of custodial parents to turn to public assistance. Other states are studying the bureau’s approach.
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| Recycling |
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In North Carolina, the Charlotte Douglas International Airport has installed a vast recycling center that has reduced the trash the airport sends to landfills by about 70 percent. The center employs over 1.5 million worms to devour food scraps, plant materials, and other organic trash, and then excrete nitrogen-rich matter that is used as fertilizer for the airport grounds. Workers also sort other materials such as aluminum, plastic, and cardboard which may be sold. Officials predict that the recycling center will generate enough money to cover its costs and become profitable within five years; it is already saving the airport money on landfill fees and trucks to haul away its trash.
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| Education |
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To increase school attendance and provide students with the flexibility needed to participate in extracurricular activities, the Minneapolis School District is subsidizing transport on the city’s transit buses and light rail for some of its high school students that normally ride school buses. Although some safety concerns remain, the program is a response to those students who sometimes decide to just stay home if they miss their morning school bus and those who may be deterred from participating in after-school activities.
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| Arts and Recreation |
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To combat obesity and provide more services to its residents, especially in poor neighborhoods, cities across the country are installing free outdoor “gyms” in public parks. The gyms contain elliptical machines, leg press and sit-up benches, and other fitness equipment. Nonprofits such as the Trust for Public Land are helping to fund some of these installations.
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| Public Transit |
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In an effort to increase bicyclist safety, at least 16 US cities are installing bicycle-specific traffic signals at intersections. Common in bike-friendly cities abroad, these traffic lights are intended to protect bicyclists by addressing situations such as when bicyclists misjudge the time they have to clear an intersection during a yellow light or to give them a few seconds head start to prevent collisions when a motorist is turning right and a cyclist is going straight. While currently no national standard exists, the signals are becoming more prevalent in US cities.
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| A Reinvention Drama in the Air |
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The FAA is working to transform the nation's air transportation system in dramatic ways, deploying new technology collaboratively with an array of stakeholders. The FAA's NextGen effort demonstrates the complexities and opportunities of better, faster, cheaper change when diverse parties are involved.
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| Setting the Bar Higher for Teachers |
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With a couple of changes, a teachers' union's proposal for rigorous testing for prospective teachers could have a big impact on public education. The American Federation of Teachers undoubtedly expects that implementation of a prestigious exam would ultimately result in higher teacher pay. Done correctly, that additional investment would be a bargain for taxpayers.
Newsletter produced by: Jessica Engelman, editor; Brendan St. Amant, researcher and writer.
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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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