Posts in Policy
'Smart Cities' Would Be Wise to Turn to Private Sector, Not Taxpayers

“Smart cities” isn’t just a description of highly connected towns; it also applies to those municipalities looking to spur growth of “The Internet of Things.” To do that wisely means partnering with private enterprise and easing regulations that could inhibit internet expansion, not building local municipal networks to manage these smart cities. It also will require the Federal Communications Commission to continue to break down barriers to 5G deployment.

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Agriculture and connectivity

For generations, Nebraskans have been known around the world for the high-quality goods produced on the state’s farms and ranches. These agricultural families value tradition, hard work, and the land they live on. In the digital era, agriculture producers of the 21st century are looking to utilize new information technologies to increase their productivity and success.

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Smart Cities Connect 2018: Mayors Tap Data to Make Smart City Projects a Success

In Jasper, Ind., Mayor Terry Seitz leads a three-year initiative to bring a fiber network to all residents and businesses to his town of 15,000. He won support for the plan by explaining the opportunities the network would create as well as warning the city could be left behind in innovation and prosperity if it didn’t invest.

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How some cities are attracting 5G investments ahead of others

As communities across the United States wait to learn how high-speed mobile networks will figure in a long-promised infrastructure plan, some cities are already attracting private investment in next-generation 5G networks. They are doing so by finding new ways to collaborate with network and equipment providers, creating a set of “best practices” that other local governments can follow.

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How a Non Profit Roundtable Turned into a Smart City Pilot Project

Urban planning, rural planning, transportation planning: all of it is personal. This is something that practicing planners (and policymakers of all kinds) need to understand. The work we do influences where people can live, influences where people can work or go to school, and can transform the entire trajectory of an individual’s lived experience. This makes our work a very heavy responsibility.

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Gaining Perspective From P3s in the Philippines

Since 2010, the Philippines national government has tried to address the country’s chronic infrastructure challenges, while maintaining strict fiscal discipline. The focus has been on initiating a series of reforms that some think has revived the country's P3 program. These reforms have resulted in the awarding of nine projects (with a total investment of US$3 billion). This P3 program's roll-out aims to support the government's intention to raise private investment in infrastructure from 0.4 percent of GDP in 2013 to 1.1 percent of GDP. Spending in infrastructure is expected to grow at around 10% a year during the next decade, reaching a total of US$27 billion per year by 2025.

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The Missing Political Debate Over the Digital Economy

This U.S. presidential election season is leading us to rethink a lot of norms. But while it feels like a lot of our political conventional wisdom is getting turned on its head, one thing that hasn’t appeared to move forward is how we talk about the economy. We’re focused on jobs, but we’re skipping a necessary discussion of how the digital economy is shaping those jobs. The content of the campaigns still seems largely rooted in the 20th century while much of our work is rushing to meet the demands of the 21st.

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Michael R. Bloomberg Announces $200 Million American Cities Initiative To Help U.S. Cities Innovate, Solve Problems, And Work Together In New Ways

MIAMI, June 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In an address at the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Annual Meeting in Miami, Michael R. Bloomberg today announced the American Cities Initiative, a suite of new and expanded investments that will empower cities to generate innovation and advance policy that moves the nation forward. In an era of unprecedented challenges – from rapid technological change to Washington D.C.'s deepening disengagement on urban issues to the climate crisis – cities need new tools that will allow mayors to do what they do best: innovate, solve problems, and work together to move the needle on the issues that matter to citizens and America's future.

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