By Nicole Davessar

Team Cityfi has been on the move! Amidst strategic planning, go-to-market advising, and partnership development, we have been thrilled to connect in person with mayors, clients, and each other this month.

At the United States Conference of Mayors 91st Annual Meeting, we were fortunate to join in the company of local and federal officials, partners, and colleagues. The ambitious and bold perspectives needed to usher our communities into the future inspire us as we support cities in implementing and realizing these visions.

Cityfi also held an all-staff retreat in Chicago, where we had the opportunity to bond as a team and explore the city. We extend a huge thank you to CannonDesign for hosting us in their downtown office! Discover more about our latest adventures below and by following us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

On Monday, our team is taking a pause to observe Juneteenth. We recognize that urban planning, mobility, and other spaces our work shapes are far from being truly equitable and inclusive. There is much work and action necessary to ensure that our communities uplift everyone, and we are committed to supporting systems, plans, policies, and change that represent and support the diversity of the people they are intended to serve.

A Meeting of Mayoral Minds

By Nicole Davessar and Story Bellows

Hundreds of the nation’s mayors kicked off June engaged in thoughtful conversations about infrastructure, housing, mental health, and the challenges and promises of America’s cities during the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) 91st Annual Meeting in Columbus, Ohio. Cityfi had the pleasure of joining this gathering–four packed days of knowledge sharing, policy resolution adoption, and networking among local leaders, federal officials, and business community representatives.

Comradery among mayors from cities of all sizes and compositions set the stage for open dialogue on the common opportunities and challenges in many communities. Unprecedented federal funding to accelerate electric vehicle adoption, improve transportation safety, and strengthen the resilience of infrastructure has already translated to tangible benefits for residents, including in disadvantaged communities. With millions of dollars yet to be awarded, capacity building to apply for and best position their cities is top of mind for the majority of mayors and their staff. Cityfi continues to stand at the ready to advise applicants on and provide capacity for pursuing upcoming grant opportunities.

Strategizing for climate preparedness and action was another topic imbued with questions around navigating technological shifts and supply chain uncertainties. At the heart of these oftentimes logistical and technical discussions, however, it was uplifting to hear the focus remain on people-centric and equitable outcomes, which also guide Cityfi’s approach to civic innovation and transformation. Having the privilege of sharing this space with our nation’s leaders and peeking into the lenses with which they view change and partnership inspires our work at Cityfi. We remain energized and ready to support cities and private-sector partners in acting swiftly on their priorities and creating more sustainable, resilient, and just communities across the U.S.

Adoption of Tesla Electric Vehicle Charging Standards and Clearing Up Misperceptions of Federal Minimum Standards

By Andrew Wishnia

News is out this week that Ford, and now GM, have reached an agreement to use Tesla’s charging standard. This means new decisions for cities, states, philanthropies, nonprofits, and the private sector as to what investments they will make regarding charging standards between now and September 2025 when these agreements take effect.

The announcement is also an opportunity to clear up misinformation regarding the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) minimum standards rulemaking for charging infrastructure. One lingering perception, for example, is that the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program may only fund the “Combined Charging System,” or CCS standard. In fact, eligible entities can do more. The final rule was amended to specifically allow for this announcement scenario to play out if industry decided to move in a direction beyond CCS. Those entities will need guidance as to what this means for them and how to build for the future.

Cityfi and our CleanTech and Zero-Emission Transition practice has unique experience as an architect for zero emission opportunities in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, and is here to help electric vehicle service providers and others involved and engaged in the electric vehicle ecosystem and supply chain understand how to navigate local, State, and federal landscapes to build a convenient, accessible, reliable, and equitable charging network.

Retreat Reflections: Appreciating the Ingredients that Make Up Cityfi

By Chelsea Lawson

Last weekend concluded a three week whirlwind of travel for me, culminating with the first ever Cityfi retreat in Chicago. I celebrated by cooking and meal prepping up a storm, during which I reflected on the ingredients that make Cityfi special. Namely, the team itself.

It is pretty wild that I am the third most-tenured person at the company after Story and Camron, and that we are now a team of seventeen. What is more amazing though is the consistent superbness of the people Cityfi has hired.

Working remotely, I already knew that everyone was competent, kind, and committed to improving urban life. But this in-person time was great to get to know more ABOUT each person and discover ways in which their backgrounds and perspectives differ from mine. For example, I learned that Caro(lina) spent her early childhood in Mexico with nuns (who had the best rice and beans), while her mother of four worked as a pediatrician. Or I learned that Nicole is part-Indian and part-Ukrainian (which made her strength and optimism even more apparent than usual).

So back to cooking. Doug (husband) and I recently helped a friend move out and ended up with an assortment of pantry items. In the time since, I have surprised myself by integrating a few ingredients into my regular routines that I would have never bought on my own or been exposed to. They have brought me such joy and made the resulting food tastier.

There is so much more to life than the narrow perspectives that we are familiar with (and of course, diversity of thought comes from more than racial/ethnic differences-- there is also much to gain from having different career or educational paths, etc.). When we get exposed to new ingredients, we can amaze ourselves with what we start to create. I am looking forward to getting back to work with the team feeling energized and inspired by their interactions with one another.