Podcasts about what works cities

On Episode 554 of Impact Boom, Rochelle Haynes of What Works Cities discusses the vital role of data in effective urban governance, how AI can be leveraged to address systemic challenges such as climate change and housing, and why community engagement and public servant capacity building are crucial for lasting impact. If you are a changemaker wanting to learn actionable steps to grow your organisations or level up your impact, don't miss out on this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, then check out Episode 251 with Catherine Griffin on scaling impact through primary data driven analytics -> https://bit.ly/425xxOv The team who made this episode happen were: Host: Indio Myles Guest(s): Rochelle Haynes Producer: Indio Myles We invite you to join our community on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram to stay up to date on the latest social innovation news and resources to help you turn ideas into impact. You'll also find us on all the major podcast streaming platforms, where you can also leave a review and provide feedback.

It's the start-of-the-new-year episode, where host Stephen Goldsmith and producer Betsy Gardner swap roles to discuss all things data, digital, governance, AI and policy-making from 2024. Listen to Pr. Goldsmith's reflections on the last twelve months and predictions on 2025, with a bonus lightening round of questions!  References include Data-Smart City Pod Episode 67, Episode 65, and Episode 62, and articles about Tacoma, Tucson, and Nashville.  Music credit: Summer-Man by KetsaAbout Data-Smart City SolutionsData-Smart City Solutions, housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, is working to catalyze the adoption of data projects on the local government level by serving as a central resource for cities interested in this emerging field. We highlight best practices, top innovators, and promising case studies while also connecting leading industry, academic, and government officials. Our research focus is the intersection of government and data, ranging from open data and predictive analytics to civic engagement technology. We seek to promote the combination of integrated, cross-agency data with community data to better discover and preemptively address civic problems. To learn more visit us online and join us on Twitter, Bluesky, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Data-informed and evidence-based decision making can drive optimum outcomes in local governments. Rob and Jackie sat down with Rochelle Haynes, managing director of What Works Cities, to discuss how technology and innovation are being used in cities to equitably deliver services and solve problems.RelatedRochelle Haynes, “How Cities Can Harness the Power of AI in 2024,” (What Works Cities, 2024)Ash Johnson. “Balancing Privacy and Innovation in Smart Cities and Communities,” (ITIF, 2023).

Improving data-driven efforts. Three guests joined the podcast to discuss their research and insight into the advancement of data in local government. They shared their new definition of data-driven local government and the methodology of their research. Ruth Puttick is a Senior Policy Advisor for the Open Innovation Team. Lauren Su is the Director of Certification for What Works Cities. Lisa Mae Fielder is the Acting Manager of Data & Analytics at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Host: Toney Thompson

In this episode Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Sharon Weston Broome, the mayor of Baton Rouge. Mayor Broome talks about leading a data-driven city, prioritizing resident engagement, and how the city relies on GIS data to manage climate resiliency.Tune in to learn about data-driven flood mitigation, What Works Cities certification, and how to build a resilient city.Music credit: Summer-Man by KetsaAbout Data-Smart City SolutionsData-Smart City Solutions, housed at the Ash Center at Harvard Kennedy School, is working to catalyze the adoption of data projects on the local government level by serving as a central resource for cities interested in this emerging field. We highlight best practices, top innovators, and promising case studies while also connecting leading industry, academic, and government officials. Our research focus is the intersection of government and data, ranging from open data and predictive analytics to civic engagement technology. We seek to promote the combination of integrated, cross-agency data with community data to better discover and preemptively address civic problems. To learn more visit us online and follow us on Twitter. 

In this episode Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Sharon Weston Broome, the mayor of Baton Rouge. Mayor Broome talks about leading a data-driven city, prioritizing resident engagement, and how the city relies on GIS data to manage climate resiliency.Tune in to learn about data-driven flood mitigation, What Works Cities certification, and how to build a resilient city.About Data-Smart City PodNew from the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, the Data-Smart City Pod brings on top innovators and leading industry, academic, and government officials to discuss data, innovation, and government. This podcast serves as a central resource for cities and individuals interested in the intersection of government and innovations, the adoption of data projects on the local government level, and how to become data smart. Hosted by Stephen Goldsmith, former Deputy Mayor of New York,  Mayor of Indianapolis, and current Professor at Harvard Kennedy School.Subscribe to the Ash Center wherever you get your podcasts for future Data-Smart City Pod episodes. Music credit: Summer-Man by KetsaAbout Data-Smart City SolutionsData-Smart City Solutions, housed at the Ash Center at Harvard Kennedy School, is working to catalyze the adoption of data projects on the local government level by serving as a central resource for cities interested in this emerging field. We highlight best practices, top innovators, and promising case studies while also connecting leading industry, academic, and government officials. Our research focus is the intersection of government and data, ranging from open data and predictive analytics to civic engagement technology. We seek to promote the combination of integrated, cross-agency data with community data to better discover and preemptively address civic problems. To learn more visit us online and follow us on Twitter. About the Ash Center The Ash Center is a research center and think tank at Harvard Kennedy School focused on democracy, government innovation, and Asia public policy. AshCast, the Center's podcast series, is a collection of conversations, including events and Q&As with experts, from around the Center on pressing issues, forward-looking solutions, and more. Visit the Ash Center online, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook. For updates on the latest research, events, and activities, please signup for our newsletter.

Putting people in the process. Four guests from the City of Fort Collins, Colorado and the City of Norfolk, Virginia joined the podcast to talk about equity and data in climate action planning. They discussed how the Cities are modifying their climate actions plans to be more equitable and the What Works Cities certifications. John Phelan is the Energy Services Manager in Fort Collins, Molly Saylor is the Senior Sustainability Specialist in Fort Collins, Pete Buryk is the Chief of Staff in Norfolk, and Lori Crouch is the Director of Communications in Norfolk. This episode was recorded live at the #ELGL21 Annual Conference. Host: Alyssa Dinberg

Data and public health. Stephanie Deitrick, Enterprise GIS & Analytics Manager for the City of Tempe, Arizona, joined the podcast to talk about monitoring wastewater to understand public health trends. She shared how the City partnered with Arizona State University to begin monitoring for opioid usage, which they then pivoted to use for the response to COVID-19 pandemic. She also discussed how the City set up their open data policy and approach with support from What Works Cities. Host: Kirsten Wyatt

We hear so many stories about government spending big money without getting results — to the point that many Americans agree with Ronald Reagan's famous assertion that government isn't the solution, it's the problem. That claim was never accurate, as government successes like the Internet, highways, or vaccinations make clear. All the same, though, a lot of government effort does end up wasted, as even people who work in government will readily acknowledge. So, many of them have embraced a new approach that’s driven by the smart use of data. It has a lot in common with the way coach Billy Beane turned around the Oakland A’s baseball team, as was described in the book "Moneyball," by Michael Lewis. In fact, it’s is often called “Moneyball for government.” Spencer's guest this time is Jenn Park, who’s with a nonprofit called Results For America. In their conversation, Jenn focuses on What Works Cities, a collaboration with Michael Bloomberg’s Bloomberg Philanthropies and other partners. More at dastardlycleverness.com.

On this edition of Bytemarks Café, a talk with the Executive Director of the Department of Housing at the City and County of Honolulu about "What Works Cities." A discussion about how the project leveraged data and evidence to effectively tackle pressing challenges with chronic homelessness. 6:30 PM on HPR-1.

Two Innovation & Technology staff from the City of Boston, Massachusetts joined the podcast to talk about their work. Laura Melle is the Sr. Procurement Lead and Stefanie Costa Leabo is the Interim Chief Data Officer, both shared how they are using their positions to be a resource for city departments. They discussed how Boston is doing procurement differently (including more RFPs), how they are using data to make decisions, and how What Works Cities helped them do those things.

Racial equity is a challenge cities across America are grappling with on a daily basis. In this episode, we will take a deep dive into the innovative and data-driven approach which Grand Rapids, Michigan is taking to meet this complex issue head on. Over the past six months, GovEx, through What Works Cities, has been supporting Grand Rapids' efforts to increase racial equity by improving data management practices and bringing data and evidence into the decision-making process, and bettering the connection with residents and their quality of life. As a part of our collective effort, the City has launched its Housing NOW! dashboard to which allows everyone a clear view of the data collected and analyzed by Grand Rapids to "inform decision-making and dialogue so that [the City is] able to understand [its] community needs and how best to meet them." We are joined by Alex Melton who is the Customer Service Community Liaison for Grand Rapids and Zac Thiel, the City’s Digital and Data Strategist. They are apart of Grand Rapids 311 Customer Service team, which is led by Becky Jo Glover. Like Data? Listen and Get in Touch You can find updates to the podcast in several ways. Look for us on iTunes as GovEx Data Points Find up-to-date episodes on our website at http://govex.jhu.edu/podcast Get in touch with us and let us know what you want to hear, suggest potential episodes, and give us feedback on how the podcast is going. You can contact us on Twitter at Gov_Ex or reach out via our website at govex.jhu.edu/contact.

Happy birthday to us! As GovEx turns three, Eric and Sharon (who have both been around since its beginning) take a quick look back at the top highlights over the years, including the first What Works Cities Summit, growing from two people with no office space to a team of 25 working in over 100 cities around the world, and we also peer into the future to give you some insights on what's next for GovEx.

A new program from Bloomberg's What Works Cities is recognizing and celebrating the local governments that are leading the nation in the use of data. Simone Brody, the Executive Director of What Works Cities, and Jennifer Park, the Associate Director, came on GovLove to talk about What Works Cities Certification. They share why cities should pursue certification, success stories from the first 9 certified cities and how it can be scaled to all sizes of cities. Topics: Lightning round (3:05), What the certification program is and why it matters (6:05), The similarities between cities that applied (8:40), The blueprint for getting certification (10:35), Success stories from the certified cities (16:00), How certification helps with a cultural change toward data (24:30), Scalability of solutions for smaller cities (26:40), and How they want certification to be a national movement (31:10).

Kara Kratowicz, Data Projects Coordinator, will be presenting to the Common Council on the city's Tactical Data Engagement Pilot. Through the What Works Cities initiative, the City of Madison engaged with the Sunlight Foundation as a pilot city to launch a new technique aimed at increasing the impact of open data within the community. This presentation will cover the Tactical Data Engagement efforts to date and next steps for implementation.

Welcome to the OpenDataSoft Leadership Podcast Series, “Open Data Discussions”. Each month, Jason Hare, our Open Data Evangelist, features a different open data program around the country to discuss what has made it successful. These examples will provide insights and strategies that you can implement in your own city. We had the pleasure of welcoming Janelle Bailey, Enterprise Data Strategist from the Town of Cary, North Carolina for the third podcast in our series. Janelle discussed various subjects, including: - Why is developing an open data policy important for the Town of Cary? - What are the different data integration strategies developed by the Town of Cary? - Does the work done by the Town of Cary about open data and smart city affect other municipalities? - How does What Works Cities help to address both the technical aspect and the engagement part of their open data program?    Don’t forget to visit the OpenDataSoft blog for more data-related content and sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on OpenDataSoft news, including how to get our next podcast!   Special thanks: Special Guest: Janelle Bailey, Enterprise Data Strategist, Town of Cary, NC Music: “So Low” by Art of Escapism is licensed under CC BY SA Links: Town of Cary open data portal

Finance Department staff provides an update regarding steps the City has taken to transition to a data driven culture. The presentation includes a discussion surrounding strategic management, including efforts to launch outcome budgeting. The presentation also includes an overview on the city's involvement in the Bloomberg Philanthropies' “What Works Cities” program. Launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies in April 2015, What Works Cities is a national initiative to help 100 mid-sized American cities enhance their use of data and evidence to improve services, inform local decision-making and engage residents.

Finance Department staff provides an update regarding steps the City has taken to transition to a data driven culture. The presentation includes a discussion surrounding strategic management, including efforts to launch outcome budgeting. The presentation also includes an overview on the city’s involvement in the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ “What Works Cities” program. Launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies in April 2015, What Works Cities is a national initiative to help 100 mid-sized American cities enhance their use of data and evidence to improve services, inform local decision-making and engage residents.

What does it take to make cities more innovative and efficient? What Works Cities is an organization that strives to answer that question. Kent Wyatt sat down with Director of City Programs for What Works Cities, Zach Markovits to find out more about the organization.