Gold Medal Futures

Aug 9

Written By Cityfi

1,952 words in this newsletter - about 8 minutes and 13 seconds to read.

By Ryan Parzick

As the world celebrates the culmination of the Summer Olympics in Paris, the spirit of collaboration and triumphing over the “never been done before” barriers is palpable. This edition of the Cityfi newsletter captures this Olympic fervor through stories of civic innovation, partnering up to meet common goals, and ambitious urban planning.

In an insightful interview with Partner Story Bellows, Andreas Addison, a Richmond City Council member and mayoral candidate, discusses the evolution of civic innovation and its role in fostering equity and upward mobility. His commitment to making government more responsive and inclusive, echoes the collaborative spirit seen in Olympic endeavors. Meanwhile, Cityfi's participation in NY Tech Week last June exemplifies the power of cross-sector collaboration which can lead to diverse perspectives coming together to drive impactful innovations, much like the teamwork and unity celebrated in the Olympics. Finally, a newsletter with an Olympic theme wouldn’t be complete without an article about the actual Olympics, right? We take a look at the Olympics from the Cityfi perspective - what Los Angeles should be doing to keep its eyes on the prize to create a lasting positive legacy while addressing urban challenges.

The Cityfi team needs to spend this weekend recovering from our Mixed 17 x 23m relay victory that was somehow not covered by the media. Maybe we will get our viral moment in Los Angeles? As we rest, please enjoy the newsletter and the Closing Ceremonies.

Civic Innovation on the Ballot

By Story Bellows

In a recent interview, Cityfi Partner Story Bellows had the privilege of speaking with Andreas Addison, whose journey from a civic innovator inside the government to a current two-term member of the Richmond City Council who is now a mayoral candidate for the city, offers a unique perspective on making government work for its citizens. In this candid conversation, Andreas shares insights on his transition from a city employee to an elected official, his views on the evolution of civic innovation, and his priorities for Richmond's future. Read the full transcript in the Cityfi blog, but feel free to enjoy a small sampling of some of the conversation below:

Story Bellows: As you know, you and I were involved in the civic innovation space nationally when it was pretty nascent. I'm wondering, staffing aside, how you see the civic innovation mandate, both in Richmond and nationally. How has it evolved since the good old early days when we were just little pups in this space?

Andreas Addison: I think civic innovation, just as a title by itself, is really intentionally nebulous and vague, but also, I think it can get misconstrued as to what it is. Civic innovation is really coming to a place of equity. I think about my conversations with Mitchell Silver, when he was parks director in New York City. He would say everyone wanted access to parks until they realized that when everyone had access to parks, they were very different parks. You can’t call a park the same when it’s my little pocket park versus Central Park. You have to think about what a park means, what it looks like, and what it feels like. Civic innovation is now creating equity. To me, that’s where I see the conversation evolving. It’s not just about what you have or don’t have, or what you need. It’s now about people wanting to see action and own the outcome. They want to see that they helped make this better.

Civic innovation in government is now making government work in reverse. The people are making the requests and demands, and we’re making sure government can follow through and deliver. That’s where I’m starting to see big improvements. The most recent one I’m passionate about is the universal basic income conversations across the country. We did a pilot here in Richmond. My students at UVA, where I teach social entrepreneurship, marvel at the big cliffs of benefits eligibility across the spectrum. When you think about economic decisions for a family, it almost makes more sense to turn down a job or not work because you give up so much in healthcare benefits, food benefits, or housing benefits. If you make that cliff harder, it’s easier to back off. I believe universal basic income should be the enabling tool to empower that family to keep going, bridge the gap, and support the continuation of those benefits even when the federal or state government cuts them off. A city can say, "Here’s $500 a month because I know you just lost those benefits, but I want you to keep your job, build on that wealth, and continue to believe in yourself and support your family." I want to support that upward mobility. Civic innovation can now look towards breaking barriers to success and growth potential. I’m really interested to see how we can look at cool tools that are not complicated or expensive but are completely transformative. That’s where I think we’re going.

NY Tech Week Event Sparks Connections

By Sarah Saltz

Cityfi participated in NY Tech Week this past June, co-hosting a unique event with it’s electric and CLIP that combined a local coffee shop (shout out to our friends at Le Petit Monstre), a biking tour, and a series of tech demos by several Brooklyn-based mobility tech startups. Like much of Cityfi's cross-sector work, the event brought together diverse perspectives from across the industry - investors, founders, and the broader mobility tech community. We provided founders with kitten name stickers and investors with puppies (naturally). Kittens and puppies mixed, one thing led to another, and connections were forged. Our favorite example was when an early stage investor from CoreNest met featured company it’s electric, and saw their co-founder Tiya Gordon demo the company's unique approach for urban EV charging. In their words, “after a few more chats, they were sold” and the connection led to CoreNest participating in it’s electric's seed funding round.

This amazing outcome underscores the power of bringing together diverse stakeholders in mobility and demonstrates how our events can catalyze real-world impact in the tech ecosystem. Cityfi's “X Factor” is bridging these gaps and facilitating transformative cross-sector collaborations, and we're thrilled to see this dynamic play out in such a tangible way. Our ability to connect key players across industries and spark meaningful partnerships is at the core of what we do. This success story perfectly illustrates how seemingly casual interactions at our events (a Brooklyn coffee shop in this case!) can lead to significant business opportunities and advancements in the mobility sector.

Congratulations to it’s electric and CoreNest - we're excited to follow their journey and look forward to fostering more of these impactful connections in the future!

You Can Do It! Go for the Gold, Los Angeles!

By Ryan Parzick

The competitions constituting the Summer Olympics wrap up this weekend, and the Paralympics will be completed September 8th. However, that does not mean all eyes should shift away from Paris. In fact, certain sets of eyes should be focused rather intently on the City of Lights. As Los Angeles continues to prepare for the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics, the city is undertaking a comprehensive infrastructure overhaul aimed at addressing long-standing urban challenges while ensuring a successful and sustainable event.

Paris 2024 has set a precedent with its ambitious sustainability goals, utilizing 95% existing or temporary infrastructure to minimize environmental impact. This approach includes the use of renewable energy, sustainable construction materials, and efficient water management systems. The Olympic Village in Paris, built on a former industrial brownfield site in one of Paris’s poorest neighborhoods, is designed to be transformed into a sustainable city district post-Games, featuring housing, offices, and shops. As has happened in many other cities, there often are increased rents and displacement when major developments are built, so Paris is requiring between 25% and 40% of the housing in the converted Olympic Village will be converted to public housing. After the Games, the site is designed to house around 6,000 people located near Central Paris with ample access to rapid transit.

As expected, there are significant concerns about the effect of the Olympics on the broader housing crisis in Los Angeles. Critics argue that the construction and development associated with the Olympics will accelerate gentrification and push residents out of their neighborhoods, particularly low-income populations and homeless communities. The Paris plan is a model of transit-oriented development and public housing for Los Angeles to build off of, which plans to adopt similar strategies to avoid the pitfalls of wasteful spending, social inequity, and environmental degradation.

In Paris, the government has faced criticism for its "relocation plan" for migrants and homeless individuals, which has been described as "social cleansing." Los Angeles also has had its fair share of issues clearing homeless encampments in the past, facing heavy criticism of how it handled the Super Bowl in 2022, so it must be vigilant to avoid similar outcomes and ensure that the benefits of the Games are equitably distributed. Engaging local communities in the planning process and maintaining transparency will be crucial to achieving these goals.

Los Angeles' "radical reuse" concept is central to its sustainability claims. The city plans to use existing venues like the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Rose Bowl, and the Staples Center, which have been or are being upgraded to meet modern standards. Temporary structures will be employed where necessary, such as the beach volleyball stadium on Santa Monica Beach, which will be dismantled and repurposed after the Games. This strategy not only reduces the carbon footprint but also ensures that the city does not end up with "white elephant" infrastructure projects that are expensive to build or maintain but don't serve a useful purpose or deliver returns after the Games. Investments in renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies at existing venues will also contribute to a greener urban environment.

The financial risks associated with hosting the Olympics also loom large. Historical data shows that nearly every Olympics since 1960 has gone over budget, and Los Angeles is no exception. The estimated budget for the LA 2028 Games has already increased from $5.3 billion to $6.9 billion, raising concerns about potential cost overruns and the burden on taxpayers. While the budget includes a contingency fund, critics argue that it may not be sufficient given the average cost overrun for past Olympics.

Despite these challenges, the Games present an opportunity for Los Angeles to implement long-term improvements that benefit its citizens. The city's focus on enhancing public transportation, improving infrastructure, and promoting sustainable practices can lead to lasting positive changes. The "Twenty-Eight by '28" initiative includes 28 major transportation projects aimed at improving the LA Metro transit network, making it easier for residents to navigate the city. These projects are expected to reduce the city's infamous traffic congestion and provide a more sustainable mode of transportation. While infrastructure upgrades are very important, so is the user experience and the behavior of those who need to move within the city during the Games. Paris has created a multilingual “Transport Public Paris 2024” app to help navigate visitors around Paris and the city has collaborated with navigation maps like Google Maps and City Mapper to restrict certain functionalities and route suggestions during the Olympics to focus tourist traffic more effectively to planned routes.

While Los Angeles' preparations for the 2028 Olympics are ambitious and grounded in sustainability, the city must address significant concerns about affordable housing and financial risks. By learning from Paris 2024 and implementing a comprehensive, community-focused approach, Los Angeles can earn a Gold medal by hosting a successful and inclusive Olympic Games that leaves a lasting positive legacy for all its residents.