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| Traffic Control |
| This summer, London will pilot technology that adjusts times at pedestrian crossings to ensure as many people as possible cross with the lights while keeping traffic moving. The Pedestrian Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique or Pedestrian SCOOT will utilize video cameras at intersections to count the number of people in a digital “box” on the crossing pavement. If a large number of people are detected, the system alters the timing of the walk light to allow more people to cross safely. Conversely, if no one is at the crossing, or if someone presses the request button and then crosses against the lights or walks away, the system will not activate the walk light and traffic will move uninterrupted. Officials note that if the pilot is successful, it could be adapted to accommodate cyclists during rush hour. |
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| Land Resources |
| North Carolina is working to create a repository of property data from separate county systems for use in taxation, emergency management, and environmental protection. Using cloud-based software tools, the state will overlay parcel boundary data based on the precise geographic coordinates of the property over the top of satellite or aerial images for a more thorough analysis. The work is part is of a six-month project, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, to transform separate county property systems into online data services that can be shared with the EPA’s Environmental Information Exchange Network and users of the state’s OneMap Geospatial Portal. |
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| Economic Development |
| Trying a new approach to combating poverty, the city of Richmond, Virginia, has created the Office of Community Wealth Building to improve access to transportation, work, education, and housing for community members. The office, which will be led by a professor who has spent time researching and working on the cross-cutting issues that contribute to poverty, will have a small starting budget of $3.5 million and will focus initially on policy prescriptions for workforce development and adolescent transition in the community. The office will approach these and other issues with the mindset of a start-up, looking to find nimble ways to increase the “community wealth” of Richmond. |
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| Corrections, Probation & Parole |
| Inmates at the Dorsey Run Correctional Facility in Jessup, Maryland, are learning empathy and responsibility through the help of a weekly knitting class. The calming, contemplative, and popular program requires every new student to share a story of someone they have hurt and eventually knit that person a hat. Students are taught by experienced instructors to patiently turn balls of yarn into wearables for their loved ones and to donate to the needy. To ensure accountability, students must maintain a good attendance record, are prohibited from using profanity, improper language, or nicknames, and are banned from the class if they run afoul of these rules or for any incivility. Similar programs exists in Saginaw Correctional Facility in Freeland, Michigan, and the Blaine Street Women’s Jail in Santa Cruz, California, and other prisons have expressed interest. |
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| Higher Education |
| Costly remedial education at the college level has long been plagued by poor performance of students who get discouraged by non-credit classes or run out of financial aid before completing their credit requirements. In response, states and colleges are retooling their remedial programs to better address the needs of today’s students. In Massachusetts, some schools are using high school GPAs rather than standard assessment tests to determine whether remedial courses are necessary. Texas State University will allow some students to enroll simultaneously in remedial and college-level courses. And, the City University of New York offers a boot-camp style program for its students to more rapidly get out of remedial classes and save their financial aid for credit courses. Officials acknowledge that while reducing remedial interventions is preferable, any initiative must also take into account the college-readiness of each student. |
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| Environment |
| Across the country, states and municipalities are turning the lights down low, adopting “dark sky ordinances” to preserve both the night sky and the nocturnal animals that rely on it. The ordinances generally require lights to point down or be shielded, and to be turned off at certain times. Aside from affecting stargazers, light pollution can disorient baby turtles, insects, and birds. Communities in Oregon, California, and Rhode Island have adopted legislation, as have the states of Hawaii and New Hampshire. |
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| Data-Smart City Solutions | Chicago: A Look Back at a Landmark Year |
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Data-Smart City Solutions’ Chicago research has focused on key data-driven initiatives that can serve as models for cities across the country. Perhaps no city has been more central to the emerging field than Chicago, a national leader in predictive analytics, open data, civic engagement, and the overall use of technology to address urban issues.
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| Can the Voters Cure Phoenix's Public-Pension Sickness? |
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Across the country, an increasing number of public-pension systems are becoming unsustainable. A measure on the Phoenix’s November ballot may not be a perfect way to fix its retirement system, but doing nothing is not an option.
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| Illinois' Retreat on Teacher Quality |
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Research makes it clear that teacher quality affects student learning more than any other school-based variable. A decision by Illinois state lawmakers to let prospective teachers slide on a basic skills test is a bad idea.
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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