1,639 words in this newsletter - about 6 minutes and 53 seconds to read.

We know you are a loyal reader of the Cityfi newsletter, but perhaps you may have had a little extra eagerness to open this email by the bold proclamation in the subject: “We See the Future!” As thrilling as that sounds, we assure you that our intent was not to create clickbait. Our team has a strong pulse on what has (and has not) worked for cities, as well as the current innovations being implemented by both public and private entities. Most importantly, though, we are leading conversations about planning and strategizing to enhance city efficiency and effectiveness for citizens, while also focusing on environmental responsibility and resilience.

Read on to discover how we can assist with shaping your future. As we expand our presence in Europe, we are excited to announce a significant step towards increasing our expertise and array of offerings across the pond - and improving them here in the United States. With her intimate knowledge of city hall operations, Associate Chrissy Anecito sheds light on the relatively new and innovative process of incorporating climate strategies into city budgets, allowing Climate Action Plans to be enacted more effectively. Additionally, Partner Story Bellows shares her insights from the Urban Land Institute’s Spring Conference, expanding on topics related to immediate city needs that were previously under-emphasized but are now very prominent. Finally, as conference season rolls on, see where our team of thought leaders will be and what they will be discussing in May.

We are here to assist you with any of your future needs and current challenges. Contact us to learn how we can be of service!

Introducing Cityfi’s New European Affiliates

By Evan Costagliola

Soon after expanding Cityfi’s global footprint in 2023, we started searching for Europe-based thought leaders and respected experts in civic and mobility innovation to join our affiliate network. Our goal with the affiliate network has always been to convene leading subject matter experts and advisors from diverse backgrounds to support the work of our clients. Cityfi’s affiliates inspire new ideas and help solve problems with practical experience and expertise. It was only a matter of time before we were able to find our first class of affiliates in Europe. And, to put it lightly, we delivered.

So without further ado, we are very proud to introduce our newest affiliates supporting clients across Europe and North America: Gemma Schepers, Scott Shepard, and Arnis Kakulis!

Gemma Schepers
Gemma Schepers is a leading voice on mobility innovation and digitalization across Europe. She currently serves as a project manager and advisor for the City of Amsterdam’s Innovation Office, focused on Smart Mobility, Data, and Privacy. In her role in Amsterdam, Gemma focuses on both trans-national mobility data regulation and hyper-local action. She has spent years organizing frameworks for data specifications and digital policy for Dutch cities. She also works on short-term experiments in living labs with citizens and market parties to align interests and overcome some of Amsterdam’s most pressing mobility challenges. In her spare time, Gemma also serves on various advisory boards and working groups, including Open Mobility Foundation, MobilityData, Eurocities, and Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat.

Scott Shepard
An award-winning urban planner, author, educator, speaker, and thought leader, Scott Shepard works at the intersection of urbanism, active transportation, shared mobility, decarbonization, and AI. Based in Portugal, Scott is the Head of Policy & Government Affairs at Drover AI, founder of the CitiesFirst Advisors and the #CitiesFirst Podcast, and an advisor at Urban AI. Having a multidisciplinary public and private sector perspective, Scott's global experience spans government, consulting, and startups. Over the span of his career, he has held executive positions like Chief Commercial Officer, Chief Business Officer, Chief Product Officer, Chief Marketing Officer & Vice President, and has served on Boards of Directors and Executive Management Boards.

Arnis Kakulis
Based in The Hague, Netherlands, Arnis Kakulis has 30 years of experience in the transportation design and construction industry, providing development leadership in many countries around the world. Arnis’s specialties include strategic planning and advisory consulting, process design, design/construction management, project/program management, and stakeholder relations with specialties in transportation, mobility, and corporate real estate sectors. Arnis recently served as AECOM’s Managing Director of Civil Infrastructure for the Baltic States and currently serves as the Vice Chair of Rail Baltica’s Supervisory Board, driving the strategic direction of the largest transportation infrastructure project in the Baltic States.

Here Comes Climate Budgeting!

By Chrissy Anecito

Globally, cities are seeking policies and programs to increase their resilience and reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. New tools are being developed and implemented to assist in this transition, with Climate Budgeting being one such tool. In 2017, Oslo developed the world’s first Climate Budget, and now, despite being one of the fastest growing cities in Europe, its GHG emissions are on the decline. In recent years, Mumbai, London, and New York have joined Oslo in implementing their own Climate Budgets, and many more cities internationally are laying the foundation to integrate their own Climate Budget process.

Climate Budgeting provides municipal and local governments with a functional tool to mainstream climate commitments and considerations into the fiscal budget and assigns responsibilities and expectations to reduce emissions to specific departments and teams. By integrating climate targets from their Climate Action Plan into the budgeting process, cities can leverage their financial investments to make measurable progress toward these goals. Additionally, it creates a whole-of-government approach to emissions reduction efforts by requiring all city departments to consider the estimated impact of their budget requests on GHG emissions.

So, how does a Climate Budget work? Just as there are different approaches to financial budgeting at the municipal level, different cities will have different approaches to their Climate Budget. As the first city to institute a Climate Budget, Oslo is the model that other cities look to for guidance. In Oslo, the Climate Agency works with departments to assign climate measures relevant to their department’s activities and include these measures in their annual budget requests. These requests identify what specific goal from their Climate Action Plan is being addressed by each measure and which municipal entity is responsible for achieving the goal. The final Climate Budget document links each specific action to quantified emissions reductions and identifies emission reduction measures, costs, and the responsible municipal entity for the measures.

Montreal, Berlin, and Los Angeles have adopted key elements of the Climate Budget approach and are working to further improve their budgeting integration. As more cities begin to take notice and undertake their own Climate Budget process, Cityfi looks forward to serving as a resource and partner to leverage existing governance systems in order to achieve a more climate resilient future.

Focus on Resiliency and Sustainability in Real Estate

By Story Bellows

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of participating in the Urban Land Institute’s Spring Conference and its Responsible Property Development Council meeting. Amidst an uncertain political and financial future (at least for those wondering about interest rates), developers, investors, designers, and planners engaged in discussions on crucial themes reshaping our cities: resiliency, affordable housing, and the future of downtowns - all topics central to Cityfi's daily considerations.

The mainstreaming of resiliency and sustainability conversations, as compared to the era I last deeply engaged with the development community, is a welcome change. As cities worldwide grapple with the impacts of climate change, the imperative to build resilient infrastructure and sustainable communities has become integral to the core discourse in the development community. From innovative green building designs and resilient infrastructure solutions to different models of incorporating ESG criteria in investment portfolios, the conversations reflected a collective commitment to shaping cities capable of weathering the storms of the future, both literally and figuratively.

Affordable housing emerged as another focal point, underscoring the pressing need to address housing affordability challenges across our country. Discussions delved into innovative financing models, regulatory strategies, and public-private partnerships aimed at expanding access to affordable housing for all residents.

Throughout the conference, the importance of funding and policy initiatives like the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) and Local Law 97 in New York City was reiterated, highlighting the critical role of financial and policy resources in driving sustainable urban development. As cities strive to meet ambitious climate goals, dedicated funding streams are essential to support transformative projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance community resilience, and there’s a clear need to better align these two in order to drive meaningful outcomes.

Overall, I’m grateful for the platform to explore how broader systems influencing urban development, and the leaders within those, can better collaborate to chart a course towards more sustainable and equitable cities. For us, it feels like there’s a key need and opportunity to better connect these conversations and investments to the mobility, transportation, and infrastructure offerings that connect developments - whether building to building or city to city.

Stay Tuned … What’s Next for Shared Micromobility?
Part 3 is Hitting Inboxes Soon!

By Evan Costagliola

Last month, we published two parts of a three part series on the Future of Micromobility. The first two parts weren’t just quick blurbs on the subject, rather they were in-depth thought pieces that took readers into the history and current state of the micromobility, respectively. We are excited that the third, and final installment of the series, will be coming out next week! This blog post will really dig into what the future holds for the still evolving (and very important!) component of our mobility needs by intertwining interviews from experts in the field and our own subject matter expertise.

To get yourself prepared for Part 3, go ahead and reread Part 1 and Part 2 of the series on our blog. Be on the lookout for the final chapter of this trilogy hitting your inboxes next week.

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.

CoMotion MIAMI 2024 - Miami, FL - May 6 - 7

The Price is Right: Revenue-Related Tools for New Mobility - Monday, May 6th (2:15 - 3:45 PM)

Come on down! Cityfi is hosting this workshop with Senior Principal Evan Costagliola joined by Urban Freight Lab, ECOnorthwest, and the City of Ft. Worth’s Transportation & Public Works Department focusing on public agency revenue-related tools for new mobility. Advances in smartphone and computer technology have enabled a wide variety of innovations for the movement of people and goods. At the same time, the energy transition away from fossil fuels to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and emergence of shared mobility business models are challenging how transportation agencies fund, operate, and maintain transportation networks.

The speakers are working to help develop a decision-making framework and examples of best practices for public agencies to extract revenue from new mobility services - passenger and goods delivery - to pay for transportation-related expenses and subsidize services that provide a public benefit for state and local transportation agencies. Both personal travel and goods movement operate in a shared, public environment funded by public transportation agencies. Therefore, government bodies have a responsibility and an opportunity to develop revenue-related strategies that align with public policy goals.

Discover innovative strategies and gain valuable insights from industry experts. Whether you're a transportation enthusiast or a business owner, this event is perfect for you!

Oh, we should mention that Partner Story Bellows and Senior Associate Karla Peralta will be at the conference, as well … a lot of Cityfiers ready to talk shop. Let us know you will be there!

NACTO Designing Cities - Miami, FL - May 7 - 10

Safe Journeys: Countering Gender and Queer Violence in Transit - Wednesday, May 8th (11:15 - 12:00 PM)

Check out Senior Associate Karla Peralta sharing her subject matter expertise at this session. The panel will delve into the fact that safety on transit is not universal. Women, nonbinary, trans, and otherwise queer riders are far more likely to be harassed or the victim of a targeted attack than men. Feeling - and being - unsafe or unwelcome while navigating sidewalks and transit systems not only limits personal freedom and mobility but also detrimentally affects social and economic well-being. In this session, hear from experts from across the Americas on the steps and strategies cities must, can, and are taking to turn public mobility from what can be a fraught experience to one that is open, inviting, and inclusive to all.

The Price is Right: Revenue-Related Tools for New Mobility - Wednesday, May 8th (12:30 - 1:30 PM)
If you missed Evan Costagliola’s workshop at CoMotion earlier in the week, you can still attend the roundtable discussion. Learn about how passenger services (bikeshare, scootershare, carshare, ride-hail including AVs, and microtransit) and goods delivery (e-commerce and meal delivery) are presenting new challenges to transportation agencies that must manage transportation system, build and maintain infrastructure, and manage congestion on the street and at the curb. It takes resources to manage new mobility within the existing network. The presenters created a framework for evaluating revenue-related tools for new mobility and need your feedback to make sure the tools – and the price – are right.

Partner Story Bellows will also be in attendance, so let us know you will be there!

Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS) International Annual Conference - New Orleans, LA - May 8 - 10

Pulse of Progress: Turbocharging Mobility and Sparking the Electric Revolution in Transportation Planning - Thursday, May 9th (11:00 - 12:00 PM)

Smart Cities Expo - New York, NY - May 22 - 23

Welcome To “Spatial Reality” - Wednesday, May 22nd (11:00 - 11:30 AM)

When Pokémon Go debuted in 2016, thousands of players stampeded through parks, trespassed en masse, and injured as many as 30,000 people due to distracted driving. What’s the worst that could happen to cities once a new generation of AI-powered wearable devices drops, led by the Apple Vision Pro? And how can public officials and policymakers start preparing now? To answer those questions, more than a dozen current and former public officials have explored the perils and possibilities of AI and spatial reality at urban scale. Using a foresight method known as “threatcasting,” they collectively imagined the future(s) they wanted — and wanted to avoid. In this session, members of the cohort (including Partner Story Bellows) will share what they learned and discuss how threatcasting offers cities a new tool for preparing for disruption.

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 we have found interesting (with an Earth Day theme to round out the week!):

Climate: For Earth Day 2024, experts are spreading optimism – not doom. Here's why.
Climate: E.P.A. Will Make Polluters Pay to Clean Up Two PFAS Compounds (follow up to Ryan’s blog post on recent EPA rules)
Climate: E.P.A. Severely Limits Pollution From Coal Burning Power Plants
CleanTech: CALSTART on CO2 reduction targets for trucks: "Whatever happens will have a global impact"
Energy: America Isn't Running Out of Power

Job Openings

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

Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (Applications are Closing Today!)