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As we wind down Women’s History Month (also known as March) and the end of the first quarter of the year, we at Cityfi have been focused on change. Not that we aren’t always focused on change, but this month in particular we have been internally and externally pushing hard on making things different … for the better. Sahar Shirazi, Carolina de Urquijo, and Vicki Fanibi were in Washington, DC this week hosting a workshop at the Smart Growth America Equity Summit focusing on actionable planning and implementation with an equity focus.. On the other coast, today we have a Cityfi contingency in Los Angeles hosting a workshop centered around curb planning from a restaurant and food service perspective (see further down in this newsletter for info!).

In this newsletter, Evan Costagliola and Sarah Saltz continue their “Cityfi’s Take on the State of Shared Micromobility” trilogy series with their highly anticipated second piece, focusing on the actions which can be taken now to make significant change to the way people get around. Sahar reflects on her energizing experience at the Equity Summit and how people can make change with perseverance and core beliefs. Story Bellows shares her interview with change-maker Clara Brenner, a woman co-founder and managing partner of a venture capital fund investing in the future of cities. Erin Clark shares a preview of her blog post about a big change in the way the City of Pittsburgh is going to deal with parking violations. Notice the theme here?

We would love to help you change the world! Let us know how we can partner with you on your quest to do good.

Meeting the Moment: Part 2 of Cityfi’s Take on the State of Shared Micromobility

By Evan Costagliola and Sarah Saltz

This is the second installment of our deep dive into shared micromobility. If you missed the last segment, catch up on Part 1 here. We promise it’s a good read!

Building on the context and themes from history we’ve already explored, today we identify concrete ways the public sector and industry players can each respond to this moment in time.

We urgently call upon both the public and private sectors to take action in five critical areas and we lay out actions that each side can take now.

Smarter, outcome-aligned funding
Focus on public mobility ecosystems, not modes
Bold policy and action
Design for diverse people to find product-market fit(s)
Integrations that reduce friction and build value

Overall, we task the public sector with embracing bolder, more decisive approaches and prioritizing prosperity urbanism over austerity urbanism. From the private sector, we need smarter, more long-term oriented responses that transcend solely profit-driven business strategies. Read Part 2 here!

Reflecting on the Power to Create at Smart Growth America’s Equity Summit

By Sahar Shirazi

Just two days after the tragic collapse of the Baltimore Key Bridge, a few hundred folks gathered for the first in person Smart Growth America Equity Summit in neighboring Washington, DC. Themed “Meeting the Moment,” it felt painfully appropriate to walk into MLK Library on Wednesday afternoon, amidst the backlash against DEI and anything with the word “equity” included. But as our team listened to the amazing stories and work of presenters, including April de Simone and Charles Brown, and looked around at the dedicated, diverse faces in the crowd, I felt that familiar sense of kinship, solidarity, and resolve for doing this work.

In standing room only workshops and breakouts, including Cityfi’s “Addressing Challenges in Equitable Planning and Implementation with Actionable Solutions,” I walked around and listened to practitioners, advocates, government officials, and service providers share challenges, solutions, lessons learned, and personal stories. I watched and participated in the space of creating community: a community of care, passion, and resolve. A community that is tired, but refuses to be torn down.

As someone who was drawn to transportation and infrastructure as a necessity for equity, I live and breathe these values. On the second day, on a tour in Anacostia discussing the 11th St. Bridge and the community development efforts undertaken in the area, I saw that connection in person. The disinvestment in a community’s infrastructure, its catastrophic impacts on individual and communal lives, and the power of the community to come together, create something better, and push it forward.

In the early 2010s, when I lived and worked in Washington, DC, I volunteered in Anacostia, teaching nutritious cooking and food skills to adults in transitional housing. Particularly in the winter, I would often receive warnings about riding my bike over the bridge in the dark; the assumption being that I would get robbed or otherwise harmed by people on the “wrong side of the bridge.” When I would point out that these assumptions were inherently racist, the response was often something about safety and appearance - it’s dirty, it’s not well-lit, there is high crime. These issues are all the result of historically harmful decisions and investments in the physical infrastructure of a space.

As I walked the tour on Thursday, I witnessed the result of the community’s efforts - an improvement to physical space enabling the social infrastructure of a community more opportunities to thrive. Despite the challenges and delays that continue to be part of the process, it was a beautiful model for others seeking to increase investment in their community while maintaining that community and preventing displacement.

I came out of the Summit emotional, energized, and full of new ideas and allies. I know we have been working on these issues since before we could use the words, before we could have these conversations in public forums. And we will continue this work regardless of how the world continues to change. In coming together, sharing stories and resources, we reminded each other that there is a large community to hold us up when we feel weighed down, and together we can truly “Meet the Moment” and push for a more equitable world.

Wrapping up Women’s History Month with Clara Brenner

By Story Bellows

Clara Brenner is, with Julie Lein, a managing partner of Urban Innovation Fund. I first met Julie and Clara when they were running Tumml, an accelerator program for City focused startups. Since then, they’ve shifted their focus and influence into venture capital, launching Urban Innovation Fund in 2016. I had the privilege of catching up with Clara earlier this week, and it felt like a fitting way to round out our Women’s History Month coverage - diving into what’s still one of the most underrepresented sectors of our economy, but one where Julie and Clara are demonstrating just how impactful and successful women can be. One of my favorite things about Urban Innovation Fund, probably because it’s aligned with how Cityfi thinks about things, is that they publish an annual outcomes report. It’s a great glimpse into both the industry and what Urban Innovation Fund is working on, and how they’re delivering impact.

Read the full interview on the Cityfi blog!

Curbing the Chaos: The Impact of Parking Ticket-by-Mail on City Streets

By Erin Clark

This month, the Pittsburgh City Council unanimously adopted legislation allowing parking tickets to be issued through the mail to the registered owners of illegally parked vehicles. This legislation unlocks Pittsburgh’s ability to utilize camera and sensing technology to identify parking violations in real-time and issue tickets – a significant development for the City’s ability to effectively manage the chaotic curb space. While Pittsburgh is an early adopter of such legislation, many other cities are considering similar measures, which are likely to become the norm as cities continue working to better manage their curb space.

In recent years, cities across the country have seen a significant increase in demand for curb space. While the curb was for many decades almost exclusively for parking cars, today, many services and transactions occur at the curb, including accessible parking, city services, transit lanes and stops, food and goods deliveries, ride-hail pick-ups and drop-offs, and even outdoor dining.

With all these competing demands, cities like Pittsburgh are striving to accommodate existing curb space for more diverse and dynamic uses. Unfortunately, in cities I’ve lived in, visited, and worked with across the country, I’ve observed that even the most thoughtful curb regulations can’t effectively manage the chaotic curb space without consistent enforcement.

Ticket-by-mail is one policy tool cities can use to better manage the curb space, and the benefits are vast, including:

Improved efficiency
Safer streets
Conflict reduction
Greater consistency and equity
Increased compliance and capacity
More economic growth

Check out my blog post, where I delve into my curb experience as a Pittsburgher and explain why I believe ticket-by-mail is such a critical (but not the only) tool for cities to adopt to create safer, more accessible, and more efficient streets.

Where in the World is Cityfi?

Check out where Cityfi will be in the upcoming weeks. We may be speaking at conferences, leading workshops, hosting events, and/or actively engaging in collaborative learning within the community. We would love to see you.

Curbivore 2024 - Los Angeles, CA - March 28 - 29

Alexander Kapur, Chelsea Lawson, Chrissy Anecito, and Monique Ho will be hosting a workshop (TODAY at 3:00 PM PT!) centered on restaurant and food service workers' voices in curb planning. Outside of the workshop, they will be happy to talk shop or about the great L.A. weather, so don’t be shy. Say hello!

2024 Venture for ClimateTech Global Innovation Challenge - Webinar (2 hours) - April 3 (1:00 - 3:00 ET)

Story Bellows will be discussing the future of transportation at this FREE webinar with DollaRide CEO Su Sanni. Their discussion will include what innovations are working in the mobility/transportation sector, what is still missing, how innovation can continue moving forward in cities, and much more! The webinar will also include conversations on the future of energy, the future of buildings, and women in ClimateTech. Be sure to tune in!

ULI Spring Meeting - New York, NY - April 9 - 12

Story Bellows will be a guest at the Responsible Property Investment Council’s meeting, engaging with the ULI America’s NEXT Leadership through her steering committee role, and participating in the Resiliency Summit. Please let her know if you’ll be there.

As partners, Cityfi also encourages you to join us at two upcoming conferences:

CoMotion MIAMI - Miami, FL - May 6 - 7 - register here.
Smart City Expo USA - New York, NY - May 22 - 23 - register here.

What We’re Reading

Curated by Ryan Parzick

Articles handpicked by the Cityfi team for your enjoyment:

CleanTech: 10 US Electric Car Sales Stats & 13 Charts
Civic Innovation: EU must partner with cities for strong urban governance
Mobility: Netherlands set to ban using performance modifications that boost e-bike speeds
Resiliency: How climate-driven migration could change the face of the U.S.
Reimagined Streets: New York Takes Crucial Step Toward Making Congestion Pricing a Reality
Equity: Siting for a Cleaner, More Equitable Grid in Massachusetts

Job Openings

Are you exploring opportunities for your next role? Check out these positions, and contact us at info@cityfi.co to learn more!

DC Mobility Innovation District