Mayors and Pickleball
January’s topics du jour, mayors and pickleball, manifested in an engaging assembly of elected officials from cities nationwide last week. Partner Story Bellows and Senior Principal Brandon Pollak joined the United States Conference of Mayors’ 91st Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C. and enjoyed connecting with mayors, clients, and colleagues. The packed week included discussion on the visions for and challenges facing communities as well as a session on the increasingly popular sport of pickleball.
Team Cityfi significantly expanded its ranks in 2022 and could not be more excited to welcome bright and talented teammates in the new year. Below, meet the firm’s newest Associates, Max Lelu and Ryan Parzick. Our team is energized by our growing body of work and cannot wait to collaborate with you, current and new clients alike, in the months ahead!
Cityfi Joins U.S. Conference of Mayors Meeting
The U.S. Conference of Mayors convened its membership for its 91st Winter meeting in Washington, D.C. last week. Many of my most enlightening professional experiences have come from working with mayors, so it’s a privilege to have a glimpse into the lenses through which they’re approaching problem solving and to have clients (like Waymo) who bring us to the table to engage local leaders. It’s always refreshing to hear partisan differences fade into the background as mayors both illustrate the visions for their cities and share lessons learned on how to take action and make an impact at a pace rapid enough to keep up with the complex and ever evolving challenges facing many communities.
Housing and homelessness, downtown revitalization, transportation equity, and health remain critical topics of conversation. The recognition of how intertwined these issues are and how we need to approach solving them was perhaps best illustrated by Mayor Michelle Wu of Boston, who said, “Interconnected and integrated issues must be addressed in a coordinated fashion - marrying policy and ideology with clear operational efficiency.” Few quotes so clearly articulate the work that we try to advance at Cityfi. We need the sometimes slow work of policy design and vision setting, but equally important are identifying the operational implications and levers that public, private, and third-sector organizations can use to make change fast.
As we manage growth and practice area expansion at Cityfi, in an age where the challenges that our clients and collaborators face are increasingly complex, we think a lot about how our short-term actions enable the long-term outcomes we’re striving toward. It can (and probably should) feel overwhelming at times. One of my favorite takeaways was a quote from Sheila Jackson Lee, Congresswoman from Texas, who concluded her remarks at the plenary focused on women mayors with, “Get a seat at the table, keep your feet moving, and never be silent.” Good advice for all of us fighting the good fight.
Pickleball: Mayors Embrace The Dink
Every year, the U.S. Conference of Mayors spotlights hot trends happening in cities. At the 2019 Winter Meeting, when shared electric scooters were expanding into cities across the country, I had the privilege of briefing Mayors about Bird’s vision for the industry. Now, the rage is Pickleball and for good reason. Yes, I am a Stage 5 fanatic myself because it's fun to play, it's a sneaky great workout, and I like the community aspect. Like a million other people I picked up a paddle during the pandemic. I’ve seen firsthand the craze happening, and the stories of the neighborhood battles between tennis and pickleball are well documented. This is why I was excited to meet and listen to Major League Pickleball Founder and CEO Steve Kahn as he joined Mayors for a session to discuss the growth of the game, potential economic impacts, and how MLP compares with other sports leagues.
Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America and grew 14.8% to 4.8 million players in 2021. The 11.5% year-over-year growth since 2016 dwarfs other sports such as tennis, which has seen a jump of 4.2%. It has attracted high-profile investors such as LeBron James, Mark Cuban, Drew Brees, and Kevin Durant. As Kahn pointed out, the game is not only fun, but affordable and accessible. All you need is a paddle, wiffle ball, and a net. MLP is pushing to get $10 paddles into the hands of lower-income residents to expand access, and dispel the notion that pickleball is only a game for the wealthy. Demographic data from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) shows that the income level for roughly 38% of players are between $25,000 and $75,000 per year. Pickleball and MLP boast greater gender equity compared to other sports. Men and women play together, and prize money is equally distributed by MLP.
The sport is expected to grow to 40 million players by 2030, which means approximately 280,000 courts are needed to be built in order to meet demand. Right now, according to USA Pickleball, there are over 44,000 known courts. While The Kitchen on Instagram often shows cool new complexes across the country or experiences like XGLOsive, cities such as Lincoln, Nebraska are spending $200,000 for new courts and expansion plans. Developers are looking at transforming empty big box stores into indoor pickleball courts and other unused spaces to drive development and revenue. While the sport is still in its wild west days, cities are becoming creative on regulatory design along with leagues such as MLP to realize its potential.
Taking Their Seats in State Cabinets
By Karina Ricks and Story Bellows
In the past few weeks, several new and incumbent Governors have (re)entered state houses around the country. We are excited to see many friends among cabinet nominees and their aligned work to promote innovation for sustainable, equitable and thriving communities.
Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro tapped Obama Administration alumni Rick Siger as Community and Economic Development Secretary. His background leading science and technology policy and broadband deployment bodes well for a strong positioning of the Commonwealth in an innovation-forward economy. With roots in Western Pennsylvania, we can be confident he is attuned to the needs of small business development and working families. He will have a strong partner in former State Representative Michael Carroll, nominated to lead Pennsylvania’s Department of Transportation. Mike Carroll well knows the nexus of transportation with forward-leaning and equitable economic development. We are confident he will pursue innovative approaches to leverage the current injection of federal investment to do even more to improve foundational infrastructure and expect to see new strategies to achieve zero roadway deaths while leaning into purpose-driven technology. In addition, Rich Negrin has been selected to lead Pennsylvania’s Department of Environment. Following a successful tenure as Managing Director for the City of Philadelphia, where he focused his energy on both innovation and community programs, Rich led regulatory policy for ComEd. As the state (and country) continue to advance clean energy, smart grid, and electrification programs, Rich will bring his team-first approach to ensuring diverse stakeholders’ needs are addressed and outcomes delivered.
Maryland ‘s Governor Wes Moore nominated former WMATA General Manager Paul Wiedefeld to serve as Secretary of Maryland’s Department of Transportation. Wiedefeld has tackled complex challenges in airports and transit. His new challenge will be to fulfill the Governor’s vision for transportation equity across a state that ranges from dense urban metropolises to Appalachia while at the same time delivering on key large-scale infrastructure investments from rail to tollways to street safety and ports. Rebecca Flora will bring new energy and a strong commitment to longpath sustainability as the Secretary of Planning. An early pioneer of green building, Flora has a keen understanding of the interplay of transportation, urban design, economic development and community building and will no doubt help propel Maryland as a model of equitable, sustainable growth. Serving alongside Wiedefeld and Flora as Secretary of Housing and Community Development will be former Salisbury Mayor, Jake Day. We have high hopes given his experience as a Mayor and established track record of supportive housing for the unhoused, revitalization in downtown and small towns, and his architecture and urban design background.
We look forward to continuing to support the energy and passion of the Governors and their cabinet leaders and helping them develop innovative strategies and solutions to realize their visions.
Automotus Launches Commercial Curb Challenge
By Erin Clark
Cityfi client, Automotus, has launched its Commercial Curb Challenge! Selected cities will join previous winners like Pittsburgh; Omaha; Boston; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; San Francisco; and Los Angeles to address curbside challenges. For this cohort, Automotus is seeking innovative agencies and municipalities that aim to enact curb management solutions to address Vision Zero, decarbonization, and local business economic development initiatives. Automotus is selecting five cities to join this public-private partnership. Selected cities would receive:
No upfront cost implementation of at least 100 Smart Loading Zones
Access to real time curb use data
Analysis and roadmapping by a world-class transportation consulting firm
Curb management strategy to support Vision Zero and/or carbon reduction goals
Support, hardware, and software valued at up to $750,000
Automotus is accepting applications until February 15 on a rolling basis. If you have recommendations, you can nominate them here.
Biden-Harris Administration Releases Blueprint to Decarbonize America’s Transportation Sector
By Mahreen Alam
Four federal agencies - the Department of Transportation, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, and Housing and Urban Development - agreed last year to establish a unified strategy to decarbonize the transportation sector and to build communities for convenient, active mobility and to address the harmful costs of climate change. On January 10, 2023 the Biden-Harris administration released the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, which builds upon the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.
Why Target Transportation?
The preamble of the document addresses this by stating that the transportation sector - which includes all modes of travel through land, air, and sea to move people and goods–accounts for a third of all domestic greenhouse gas emissions, negatively affecting the health and well being of millions of Americans, particularly those in disadvantaged communities. Additionally, they found that transportation costs are the second largest annual household expense in the nation.
The Blueprint lists both immediate priorities and long-term plans. The three key strategies identified that are immediate to achieve the nation’s 2030 emission reduction targets are the following:
Increase convenience by improving community design and land use to prioritize access and proximity to work opportunities, community services, and entertainment to reduce commute burdens
Increase options to travel more efficiently by enabling shifts to more efficient vehicles and reducing reliance on energy-intensive modes of transport
Transition to clean options by deploying zero-emission vehicles and fuels for all passenger and freight travel modes
The Blueprint also outlines the strategies by transportation mode below:
Light-Duty Vehicles:
50% of new vehicle sales be zero-emission by 2030
Ensure new internal combustion engine vehicles are as efficient as possible
Medium and Heavy Duty Trucks and Buses:
30% of new vehicle sales be zero-emission by 2030 and 100% by 2040
100% federal fleet procurement is zero-emission by 2035
Off -road vehicles:
Establish specific targets
Focus resources to develop technology pathways and set efficiency and zero-emissions vehicle and equipment targets
Rail
Establish specific targets
Develop technology pathways and set efficiency and zero-emission vehicle targets
Encourage greater use for passenger and freight travel
Maritime:
5% of the global deep-sea fleet are capable of using zero-emission fuels by 2030
Increase RD&D into sustainable fuels and technologies for U.S. commercial vessels
Work to adopt a goal of zero emissions from international shipping by 2050
Aviation
Reduce aviation emissions by 20% by 2030
Achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050
Pipelines
Establish specific targets
Improve 1,000 miles of high-risk legacy gas distribution pipeline infrastructure to reduce 1,000 metric tons of methane emissions by 2036
Eliminate leakages and enable use of pipelines for clean sustainable fuels
The Blueprint also addresses rethinking how local communities are planned so that “job centers, shopping centers, schools, entertainment, and essential services are strategically placed near where people live.” Communities like this will reduce the amount of time people spend commuting, among other benefits. The Blueprint will be followed by more detailed decarbonization action plans to be developed and implemented by the four federal agencies in cooperation with governments at the state, local, and Tribal levels; philanthropic organizations; the private sector; and global partners.
Cityfi Charged Up for February Webinar
Cityfi could not be more excited to continue driving full speed ahead toward electrification and sustainable transportation outcomes for communities in 2023. In February, we are excited to convene cross-sector experts for a rich discussion on uptime for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, and you are invited to join us for this special webinar! Our panelists are best positioned to elucidate the importance of uptime as they possess deep subject matter knowledge from spaces across the EV ecosystem: field maintenance and operations, utilities, municipalities, and data provision. Have you ever wondered why achieving high uptime is challenging? Do you want to learn about cross-industry solutions for maximizing charging reliability? We will help you unpack these and other critical questions, so be on the lookout for more details about the webinar soon.
New Team Members
With new business coming in, our team continues to grow, and we are thrilled to introduce you to Max Lelu and Ryan Parzick!
Max Lelu is an avid urbanist committed to helping cities reach their vibrant potential as sustainable, affordable, equitable, and just engines of opportunity. Joining Cityfi as an Associate in 2023, Max works with governments, start-ups, Fortune 50s and foundations to understand and navigate the increasingly complex urban landscape.
Before Cityfi, Max provided capacity-building grants and technical assistance to affordable housing nonprofits with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, a national Community Development Financial Institution. Prior to that, Max worked for the Bay Area's Metropolitan Transportation Commission where he helped launch their conduit bond issuer, the Advancing California Finance Authority. He has also advised startups on international expansion projects on behalf of the United Kingdom's Department for International Trade.
Max has previously served on the Young Professionals Council for the St. Anthony's Foundation, a San Francisco nonprofit which has been providing essential services to residents of the Tenderloin for over 70 years. Based in New York City and originally from San Francisco, Max holds a BA from Boston College in Political Science.
Living in Austin, Texas, Ryan brings a wide variety of skills and experiences to the Cityfi team. With a B.S. in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of City & Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, he has the training and education to problem solve some of our cities’ most pressing issues. Professionally, he cultivated his entrepreneurial spirit by overseeing and facilitating consistent double-digit growth as the founder, owner, and operator of a local business for over seven years. Leveraging his quantitative and management proficiencies, Ryan also directed the market research department at a full-service commercial real estate firm where he produced creative and insightful deliverables for internal and external use. Additionally, he has a background in large-scale project management with a general contractor of new commercial office building construction.
Ryan has a passion for making cities more livable, equitable, and efficient. He has experience in green building construction techniques as well as the design and implementation of environmentally and socially sustainable business practices.