Preview of Episode 42

Is government wrong in the way it attempts to reach out to young people? Does it work against its own interest when it tries to "have a talk" or come to terms with millennials? Is "millennials" maybe a bad or condescending word? Increasingly, people are saying yes to all three, and that it's high time we overhaul the conversation. On this episode we talk with observers including a generations expert, a national-level local government group and a "millennial mayor" to explore what we can do differently than generically label 20- to 30-year-olds as a disengaged enigma more interested in wasting money on ukeleles than saving up for homes and retirement.

Show notes: 

Matt Thornhill - https://www.sirhq.com/matt-thornhill/

ELGL - http://elgl.org

Mayor Ian Baltutis - http://www.burlingtonnc.gov/139/Ian-Baltutis-Mayor

"Wall Street Journal admits to 'millennials misstep'" - http://mashable.com/2017/12/05/wall-street-journal-bans-millennials-snotty-term-disdain/#5KZUDB0sTiqf

"I Have to Ask You: Is Local Government Inviting to Young Professionals?"  - http://elgl.org/2017/12/05/i-have-to-ask-you/

"Millennials are more than 4 times more likely to do this at their desk than baby boomers" - http://komonews.com/station/question-answer/millennials-are-more-than-4-times-more-likely-to-do-this-at-their-desk-than-baby-boomers 

To Measure the 'Uber Effect,' Cities Get Creative - https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2018/01/to-measure-the-uber-effect-cities-get-creative/550295/?utm_source=citylab-daily&silverid=MzEwMTkyMjY2NjU2S0

Politico, "Mayors to Young America: Can We Talk?" - https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/30/mayors-poll-millennials-cities-urban-policy-215765

EP 42: Banning the 'M' Word

Preview of Episode 43

It's an age of big dreams and cool feats in the space of smart cities -- tech-forward, super-efficient places of living and business, with advanced data-gathering, analytics and automation that save time and money and make life and government good. But the rise of smart-cities too is giving rise to conversations about ethics, inclusion, consent, and how "smart" these solutions really are in their effects on everyday people. On this episode we hang out with Daniel Latorre, who wants to shift the focus from smart cities to "wise cities" -- a different approach to civic innovation and problem solving that decentralizes technology in favor of human beings. He identifies the shortcomings he sees in tech-centric planning, and then gives us a takeaway checkbox of questions to ask when embarking on such projects and planning to ensure that the affected people are kept at the center of focus. 

Show notes: 

Daniel Latorre - https://twitter.com/danlatorre

The Wise City - https://www.thewisecity.org

Laura Bliss, CityLab, "When a Tech Giant Plays Waterfront Developer" - https://www.citylab.com/design/2018/01/when-a-tech-giant-plays-waterfront-developer/549590/

Bianca Wylie, Medium, "Report from Executive Committee on Sidewalk Toronto. Plus a Word About Consent, Consultation, and Innovation." - https://medium.com/@biancawylie/report-from-executive-committee-on-sidewalk-toronto-93bbd2bb557f

Sidewalk Toronto - https://sidewalktoronto.ca

Episode 38, "Being Careful About Smart Cities and Civic Tech" - https://soundcloud.com/municipalequation/ep-38-being-careful-about-smart-cities-and-civic-tech-and-the-best-fictional-mayors

Episode 18, "The Smart Cities Primer" - https://soundcloud.com/municipalequation/ep-18

EP 43: Wise Cities (And Smart City Ethics)

Preview of Episode 44

There's a lot of exploration on part of local government for better community engagement. With such a diversity of communication and preference out there, it seems pretty complex. But what if it isn't? What if the simplest idea -- even one that hasn't been tried before -- is the key? On this episode we check out Detroit, Mich., and its novel creation of a "chief storyteller" who has editorial autonomy to tell otherwise overlooked stories from within the city and its neighborhoods, on behalf of its government. And then we check in with the City of Salisbury, N.C., to  learn about its award-winning answer to feedback from residents who said the city's government staff was disconnected from the people. This episode has ideas. 

Show notes: 

Aaron Foley - https://aaronkfoley.com/about/

The Neighborhoods - http://www.theneighborhoods.org

Aaron Foley on GovLove - http://elgl.org/2018/01/12/podcast-detroits-chief-storyteller-aaron-foley/

Southern City magazine issue with the Salisbury initiative - https://www.nclm.org/resourcelibrary/Shared%20Documents/Southern%20City/NovDec2017.pdf

EP 44: Chief Storyteller

Preview of Episode 45

When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) looks into the ailments of a particular community, it’s safe to assume the concern is infection or some similar local threat to human bodily health. So when the CDC started investigating the youth violence plaguing Wilmington, Del. -- a first-of-its-kind study -- it was different. But not inconsistent. Increasingly, communities and their governments are reframing their approaches to crime, by considering it a treatable public health issue before one of criminal justice. On this episode we delve in with several voices from the conversation. A portion of it comes from a session of the National League of Cities' annual conference held late last year in Charlotte. 


CDC report on Wilmington, Del., firearm violence and prevention - http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/cdcfinalreport.pdf

Southern City magazine, "Crime as a public health issue" - https://www.nclm.org/resourcelibrary/Shared%20Documents/Southern%20City/JanFeb2018.pdf

CitiesSpeak, "Leaving mass incarceration behind: How cities are turning to a public health approach to violence" - https://citiesspeak.org/2016/09/26/leaving-mass-incarceration-behind-how-cities-are-turning-to-a-public-health-approach-to-violence/

EP 45: Crime as a Public Health Issue

UPDATE: We've Moved to Libsyn

Municipal Equation is a podcast about cities and towns in changing times. Created by the North Carolina League of Municipalities. Producer/host/music Ben Brown.

Municipal Equation Podcast