Making Connections
By Ryan Parzick
In this edition, we’re all about making connections. Whether those connections are with our words, our worlds, the way we come together to improve lives and the environment, or connecting ourselves to our work, bringing pieces together can be very powerful. As you will read, we delve into critical issues ranging from economic resilience to innovative urban projects.
Karina Ricks highlights the urgent need to invest in economic and mobility resiliency in the wake of COVID-19's far-reaching impact.
Evan Costagliola emphasizes the importance of language and partnership in the climate tech ecosystem.
Brandon Pollak breaks down the Biden Administration’s A.I. executive order, and its middle ground with oversight while not stifling innovation.
Sahar Shirazi shares her experience at the Greenlining Just Futures Summit, where leaders gathered to foster more equitable communities.
Story Bellows advocates for the integration of public libraries into climate, equity, and mobility initiatives.
Sarah Saltz takes us through the new podcast digging deep into The Big Dig, the most expensive and controversial highway project in this country’s history.
Watch Karina’s testimony on roadway safety to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Finally, Chelsea Lawson introduces us to a powerful project management tool that keeps projects on track. We hope you find the connections in this newsletter as engaging and thought-provoking as we do!
We hope you find the connections in this newsletter as engaging and thought-provoking as we do!
Twin Tremors: Invest in Economic and Mobility Resilience
By Karina Ricks
Three years on, the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic continue, the magnitude of which could have even more lasting disruptions if civic and private sector leaders don’t act swiftly.
Twin tremors are rumbling that could have catastrophic consequences. Third quarter reports are in and grim for downtown cores. Commercial real estate values have dropped 11% over the past year. Places as diverse as Chicago, Nashville, San Jose, Louisville, Austin, and Dayton, Ohio are experiencing commercial vacancies of 12% to over 20%, with the very real probability of driving those values lower still. This is bad news for municipal budgets. Commercial property taxes often make up 10% or more of general revenues - and in some cases more than a third of a city’s budget. Even while residential values are rising, cities will still see precipitous drops in local revenues associated with the commercial real estate decline. Washington, DC is estimated to have to trim annual budgets by some $120 million, while San Francisco may lose as much as $200 million annually, with both large and small cities and towns experiencing equally impactful budget hits.
Then there is the still looming transit fiscal cliff. While New York may have rescued the MTA, scores of other transit agencies across the country face annual deficits in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Just as riders are returning, many systems are staring down service cuts of 10 - 20%. Reduced service would not only be a devastating blow for climate and social equity, but the invirtuous circle would also propel property tax revenues down further both downtown and across regions, harming budgets at every level - municipal, county, state, and federal. No amount of “fiscal mismanagement” rhetoric changes the fact that urban and rural communities alike will feel the economic repercussions of transit cuts.
In business, often you need to spend money to make money. If metropolitan areas are our economic engines (and they are), then we cannot afford to let them flounder. There is no shortage of creative ideas for adaptive reuse of commercial real estate, reinvention of central business districts, or innovative service models and form factors for public transportation. There is, however, a shortage of investment to make it happen.
USDOT gets it, and so does HUD. The $35 billion in lending capacity announced by the Biden-Harris Administration last week are a critical piece of the puzzle.
While leading change in Pittsburgh, a large city counterpart once expressed gratitude saying, “I don’t want to be first, I want to be second.” That’s understandable. It is risky to be the first, but the risk is eminently greater if downtowns and their transit falter. Real estate interests and cities themselves are underwater and tightening the belt. Bank bailouts and high interest rates challenge innovative financing. Federal funding is welcome, but often cumbersome and slow. Who then?
Philanthropies and philanthropists are notoriously risk averse, but now is the time for bold and decisive action - invest now with a high probability of a new era of urban excellence or spend later to reactively address the social consequences of the aftermath. We’ve seen this movie before. The 1980’s may have been good for music, but they weren’t great for cities or the economy and, frankly, we cannot afford an unnecessary backward slide.
This is not something that can wait. Both building transformations and service adaptations take years to implement before revenues will be realized in property and fare receipts. It will take investment now to relieve the stress and diffuse the impact that could come.
Europe Dispatch: The Changing Language of Climate Investment
“Transact! Transact! Transact!” That was the rallying cry from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) InnoEnergy CEOs from DACH (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland), Iberia, and France in the lead up to EIT InnoEnergy’s The Business Booster (or more commonly known as TBB). TBB is a unique opportunity for policymakers, investors, and startups to interact, build partnerships, and take climate tech from idea to measurable success stories. Recent news coming out of the United Nations Environmental Programme suggests that the climate adaptation investment needed to support global and local climate targets is lagging…to the tune of US$387 billion per year. TBB is a timely and regular opportunity for dialogue between the climate tech ecosystem on matters of partnership, public policy challenges, and action.
As an advisor and partner to EIT InnoEnergy’s mobility portfolio, I was honored to take part in TBB as an invited guest, hold conversations with founders from Europe’s most cutting edge climate solutions, and discuss opportunities with some of the globe’s leading climate investors.
While the climate crisis drives me and the work I do at Cityfi, I was particularly reinvigorated by the words of Bertrand Piccard, TBB’s opening plenary speaker and chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation. His message was one of climate action, but it reminded me of Cityfi’s methods for policy advocacy and foundational focus on public-private partnerships.
Piccard’s core call to action was to de-weaponize climate language and align on shared objectives faster. Words matter, and we all should brush up on the following language (yes…that means you too, reader):
From Crisis to Opportunity: Yes, we are in a climate crisis. That is the obvious reality, especially for the world’s most vulnerable and marginalized communities. But, we are also in a climate opportunity. An opportunity to rethink cities and their systems to center people, equity, and public health. The opportunity to seed and support climate-focused policies, systems, and start ups is central to Cityfi’s work.
From Decarbonize to Modernize: The outcome of climate policies and investment is decarbonization. But whether you care about climate action or not, the impact is to modernize outdated, inefficient, and unhealthy mobility, building, and energy systems. This is what most decision-makers and investors can rally around.
From Cost to Investment: Are climate solutions too costly? Or, are future generations not worth the investment? Shifting from a conversation about costs to one of investment can be the difference between revitalizing underserved communities and seeing climate action struck from a biennial city budget.
From Sacrifice to Adapt: Cities, and the people that live in and enhance them, are in a constant state of adaptation. This is perhaps the most banal and underappreciated element of cities. Yet, adaptation is central to city resilience, growth, and health. So when climate solutions seem like a painful sacrifice, we must remind the unconvinced that adaptation is critical for the continued health, livability, and prosperity of cities.
Cityfi is committed to continue the conversation around climate policy, investment, and the language needed for progress. Our recent work on Seattle's Climate Change Response Framework is an indication of our philosophy and capabilities. Let us show you our powers of climate persuasion and partnership in the areas of civic innovation, mobility, zero emissions transition, digital transformation, regulatory design, and public affairs.
Biden Administration Takes First Crack at Smart A.I. Oversight
On Monday, President Biden signed an executive order to establish the first set of guardrails on A.I. After meetings over months with tech executives, academics, security experts, and policymakers, the Administration sought to find the right balance to enhance security and regulation without stifling innovation.
Finding a solid middle ground is a major challenge for policymakers around the globe when technologies explode into the mainstream, such as the wild west that ensued with crypto, and there has been pressure on the Biden Administration to act on A.I. since ChatGPT launched because of potential implications on issues such as security and misinformation. Ultimately the executive order will allow government agencies to evaluate A.I. applications relevant to their areas of responsibility, and autonomy to work out the details.
Key highlights:
Developers of new "dual-use foundation models" that could pose risks to "national security, national economic security, or national public health and safety" will need to provide updates to the federal government before and after deployment — including testing that is "robust, reliable, repeatable, and standardized."
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will develop standards for red-team testing of these models by August 2024, while the Defense Production Act will be used to compel AI developers to share the results.
To ensure that the U.S. has the available talent needed to lead in the development of AI technology, the EO calls for the streamlining of processes for noncitizens to “work on, study, or conduct research in AI or other critical and emerging technologies.”
The Department of Commerce will develop standards for detecting and labeling AI-generated content.
Every federal agency will designate a Chief A.I. Officer within 60 days and an interagency AI Council will coordinate federal action.
The order promises to enforce consumer protection laws to prevent discrimination through AI and enact unspecified "appropriate safeguards" in fields such as housing and financial services.
Thorny issues not included:
No guidance on copyright or how IP laws will apply to works created with or by A.I.
No bans on the highest risk uses of the technology
No mandates on releasing training data
Much more to come as Vice President Kamala Harris has been designated to run point on the development of A.I. policy for the Administration and the implementation of the executive order.
Civic Innovation Challenge
By Karina Ricks
Last week, I had the great pleasure to join the recipients of Stage 2 pilot grants from the National Science Foundation’s Civic Innovation Challenge. Extending from St. Paul Island, AK (addressing food insecurity of island inhabitants) to Mayaguez, PR (piloting energy and mobility hubs for resiliency), these 21 university-civic-community partnerships have one year and $1 million each to rapidly deploy meaningful, purpose-driven innovative demonstrations.
Together with Lexie Albe - leader of DC’s Mobility Innovation District (MID), Stephanie Dock - Innovation Division Manager at the District Department of Transportation, and Emeka Moneme - Executive Director of DC’s Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District (BID), we shared with grantees our experience moving swiftly and thinking creatively to get things done.
With so many critical problems to be solved, effective civic innovation often requires audacious thinking and bold action. Recognizing that local governments are rarely empowered to take risks or encouraged to “fail fast”, government partnership with close collaborators like the MID, a BID, or other innovation partners like Pittsburgh’s InnovatePGH can often yield more rapid action in a more constrained pilot. These partnerships enable more of a “living laboratory” approach, where demonstrations can be managed, iterative, and measured without necessarily setting precedent or policy. These learnings are critical for local, state, or national governments to adapt, adopt, and scale effective solutions.
We are grateful to MetroLab Network for inviting us to share our experience and battle-tested learnings with this new cohort of grantees. We are excited to follow their adventures and accomplishments! To further support the work of MetroLab, be sure to check out the job opportunity below!
Greenlining Just Futures Summit
On October 19th and 20th, I attended the Greenlining Just Futures Summit in Oakland, CA, to collaborate with national leaders on creating more equitable and just cities and communities for all. With a wide range of speakers and presenters, including local icon Kamau Bell, and the legendary farmworkers’ rights organizer and advocate Dolores Huerta, the two-day event included workshops, panel discussions, and presentations on resiliency, workforce development, financing and banking, clean energy, and movement making.
As an Oakland resident and civic participant, I beamed with pride at the energy brought into the Town by civic and community leaders at the event. As a participant, I focused on resiliency hub creation and opportunities for co-benefits for local communities; access to funding for deeply rooted community organizations and non-traditional partners; and civic innovation projects that combine economic development and climate resilience for marginalized communities.
I walked away from the event energized, excited, and ready to get to work. Two things carry me forward as we continue the intense effort of co-creating more equitable communities: 1) this unique moment and focus on acknowledging and addressing past harms and planning for a more just and equitable future must not disappear as a fad or whim of political winds, and 2) after 2 days of deep conversation and learning with mentors and peers, it is clear that the movement is growing in strength and numbers, and the possibility of a more just and thoughtful future is real.
Opportunities for Urban Libraries
Many of our newsletter readers are likely strong advocates for libraries, though, I’d bet, many don’t often work directly with public libraries. Prior to joining Cityfi, I spent two years as Chief Innovation and Performance Officer for Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), an experience which drives me to better integrate libraries into the climate, equity, and mobility work that Cityfi strives to advance. So it was a real privilege to have the opportunity to try to connect my worlds a bit more intentionally at the Urban Libraries Council summit last week in Seattle. There I had the opportunity to discuss the opportunities that libraries have to take advantage of “place” in our communities on a panel with the Chief Librarians / Library Directors from Brooklyn, LA County, and Multnomah County (Portland), and the CEO of the Urban Libraries Council.
As we consider the vast sums of infrastructure funding available to communities across the country, I shared just how critical it feels that this funding - particularly that which is going towards hubs (mobility, resiliency, etc) - consider how best to partner with our most successful social infrastructure hubs in our cities: our public libraries. Libraries already embody so many of the necessary traits for hubs that support resiliency: distributed, networked, and located in nearly every community in this country. Even if the physical locations or places where hubs need to exist may not always align, cities and other partners need to remember that libraries are one of the few - perhaps only - institutions that holds the public trust. In managing change, building from a place of trust creates a much easier and shorter road to success and impact.
We look forward to continuing this conversation and bringing together diverse partners to develop the holistic infrastructure - social, physical, digital - that we will need for communities to thrive in our ever changing world.
And in the event you haven’t followed library trends in the last year, please see the following links to some of the truly great works by my former colleagues at BPL - ensuring that libraries remain front and center as cultural institutions and resources for our communities and country: the Books Unbanned team and The Book of HOV.
The Big Dig
By Sarah Saltz
The Big Dig podcast, produced by GBH News and PRX, tells the controversial story of the most expensive highway project in American history. The podcast features the man behind the project, Fred Salvucci, an anti-highway activist who championed a bold vision of tearing down Boston's crumbling elevated highway and rebuilding it underground. Salvucci's vision for this pioneering type of highway project was inspired by his desire to improve Boston’s livability, reduce air pollution, and spur economic development. The podcast covers the project’s controversies and positive outcomes, exploring the engineering challenges, political rivalries, and economic, social, and environmental tradeoffs. Amid the ambitious infrastructure projects of today, the Big Dig offers a valuable case study in the planning and execution of large-scale infrastructure projects for planners, engineers, politicians, and anyone interested in how transformative change happens, without minimizing the cost overruns, design flaws, poor management, and other issues that plagued the construction process.
The Big Dig is also a compelling human story, chronicling the efforts of a dedicated team of engineers, workers, and activists to bring a visionary project to life. One of my favorite moments is in the first episode, the podcast covers a moment in time that feels almost surreal. In the very first episode, we hear the 1972 remarks from Francis Sergeant, the state’s Republican governor and former director of public works, when he broadcast his decision to cancel the original highway project. As he presented his research and thinking behind canceling the project, he shared the below narrative, which is as resonant today as it was then.
“You, your family, your neighbors have become caught in a system that’s fouled our air, ravaged our cities, choked our economy and frustrated every single one of us. Shall we build more expressways through our cities? Shall we forge new chains to shack us to the mistakes of our past? No, we will not repeat history. We shall learn from it. We shall not build expressways. The risks we take, come down to betting on ourselves. On people versus things, on people versus automobiles, on people versus the reckless destruction of our homes, our environment and the very quality of our lives, all in the false name of progress. The only real progress is the progress of people.”
The Big Dig is a reminder of the power of engineering to transform our communities, but also of the importance of careful planning and execution. Overall, it is a well-researched, informative, and entertaining podcast and I recommend tuning in.
Safer Streets in the Senate
Cityfi is honored that Karina Ricks was tapped to share her professional and lived experience designing and delivering common sense street safety improvements. She will provide witness testimony on roadway safety to the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee Hearing at 2:30pm ET on Tuesday, November 7 (also Election Day - don’t forget to vote!).
My Favorite Project Management Tool
This title is careful and deliberate: I have other favorite task management tools that are solitary balms. Project management is a separate challenge. When I started off as a project manager at a software company, I remember being told that I would inevitably face frustration as I would be responsible for the outcomes of the project, but could not really control the work being done (as in, I could not do it myself). It is a challenge that I relish, especially with the interesting projects we get to manage at Cityfi and our wonderful clients.
A tool that makes it easier is a simple one called the Monthly Status Update. It is made up of a color (green for on-track, yellow for warnings, and red for off-track), and a summary of accomplishments during the past month and goals for the upcoming month. Here is what I love about it:
It is powerful. Sometimes a client needs to get a meeting on the books and drags for whatever reason. If they see a yellow on their status update, I usually receive a meeting invite that day. We all want to be green.
It is preventative. Scanning for project risks when they are on the horizon and communicating right away prevents projects from getting off track.
It requires attention and listening. Needing to write the status update each month forces you as the project manager to take detailed notes and ask questions when you check in with the client. Sometimes side projects are relevant that you would not otherwise have registered.
It celebrates wins. Our clients, especially thinking of those in the public sector, work hard every day in service of their communities. Their projects often go wistfully uncelebrated even at the end, but certainly along the way. Celebrating wins is important from a utilitarian perspective as a motivator, but more importantly, the whole team simply deserves to feel proud when a project remains on track.
What We’re Reading
Curated by Ryan Parzick and Chrissy Anecito
Mobility Systems and Reimagined Streets
Los Angeles Is On a Transit-Building Tear. Will Riders Follow?
‘Bidenomics’: Feds Seek to Promote Commercial Conversions Into Affordable Transit-Friendly Housing
Digital Transformation and Connectivity
Biden to Issue First Regulations on Artificial Intelligence Systems
How Are State and Local Governments Navigating AI Regulation?
Civic Innovation and Change Management
Resiliency and Climate Adaptation Strategies
Public Affairs and Regulatory Design
Cleantech and Zero-Emission Transition
Business group estimates several hundred thousand clean energy jobs in EV, battery storage and solar
Shipping Contributes Heavily to Climate Change. Are Green Ships the Solution?
The Nordic Roadmap: Plotting a course for the maritime energy transition
Job Openings
Are you exploring opportunities for your next role? Do you have any openings you would like us to promote? Contact us at info@cityfi.co to learn more!
JOIN US: Cityfi Positions!
MetroLab Network - Program Director, State & Local Research