This post was originally published on Ideas & Execution. The role of technology and design in government is undergoing a significant change. As digital and mobile technology advance, user-centered design and open source platforms are changing from nice-to-haves to necessities in the public sector. There is growing recognition in public institutions that the slow paceRead… Read more »
On Wednesday, the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs hosted a day of outreach to inform commuters about the new Paid Sick Leave initiative. Volunteers handed out leaflets and shared information about the new law, which goes into effect on July 30, at subways stations throughout the city. Adrian Hopkins, Director of Strategy at Bureau Blank,Read… Read more »
Last night, we braved the rainstorm and attended the Big Ideas for Smart Cities, Sustainability talk hosted by Arup. We heard from technology and design experts about their big ideas for making New York a smarter, more sustainable city. We’ve put together a few takeaways that apply to our own work to find sustainable solutionsRead… Read more »
Last week, we celebrated the launch of Living Cities’ latest interactive annual report Disrupting Inequality: Living Cities’ Perspective in 2013. Living Cities is an innovative collaboration among 22 foundations and financial institutions committed to improving the lives of low-income people and the cities where they live. This year, the Living Cities report is focused onRead… Read more »
Today, at the Changing Lives Through Mobile Conference we heard from researchers, entrepreneurs and leaders working to increase access to mobile technology in emerging markets. While rates of cell phone ownership have grown exponentially over the last decade, in developing countries there is still a significant gap in ownership for vulnerable group such as women,Read… Read more »
Recently, there has been significant focus on urban transportation issues ranging from pedestrian and cyclist safety to the way we allocate parking in cities. In NYC, initiatives like VisionZero hope to increase safety on the streets while the DOT’s off-hours delivery program aims to decrease freight congestion at peak times. On Thursday, Community Board 3Read… Read more »
There is an incredible movement happening right now in civic engagement. Digital platforms are transforming the relationship between citizens and their governments. To borrow an analogy from former Minneapolis mayor, R. T. Rybak, digital technology is shifting the role of government in citizens’ lives from a one-way broadcast experience to that of government as aRead… Read more »
New York is the latest US city to announce a municipal ID service like in San Francisco and New Haven. There has been extensive coverage of the challenges other cities have faced and the potential to help marginalized groups like the homeless, undocumented immigrants and foster children. What can we learn from the challenges otherRead… Read more »