Urban Innovation

New York is abuzz with the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA) fever. The midway review of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) this year showed that we are definitely not on track to achieve them unless we make drastic changes and think outside of the box.

Local government purchasing, including how a jurisdiction decides what to buy, and how they decide who to buy from, makes a huge difference in how innovative and equitable that government will be.

NOVEMBER 19, 2020 – Local governments are big buyers. But for too long, how and with whom our local governments spend their money has reinforced economic inequities in our country.

In the US, state and city governments collectively spend $1.6 trillion per year. But for too long, how and with whom local governments spend their money has reinforced economic inequities.

8 recommendations for what city governments can do to increase the number of “smart cities,” “civic tech,” or “urban tech” procurements awarded to companies led by women and people of color.

AUGUST 7, 2020 – This expert panel of city leaders, technologists, and innovators discuss why it is usually so hard to learn from failure in government and what governments and their allies can do about it.

Never before has it been more important for our local governments to get public procurement right. How our local governments respond to the current crisis will lay the foundation for more equitable communities in the recovery to come.

APRIL 24, 2020 – Every day there’s a new story about the challenges that municipal governments face with procurement due to COVID-19. We discuss shared challenges facing U.S. cities and early solutions.

Density is more important than ever, but, in a time of pandemic it leaves city economies and city residents vulnerable. How do cities—governments, residents, businesses, civic groups—learn to practice safe density?

Sidewalk Labs is building a prototype for the urban future on Toronto’s Eastern Waterfront. This project asks us to re-think relationships between governments, the private sector, and residents. Dan Doctoroff, Founder and CEO, Sidewalk Labs joins Jennifer Bradley, Executive Director, Center for Urban Innovation, The Aspen Institute at CityLab Detroit.