Published in Cityfi·Apr 12, 2022City Leaders Need To Get Better at Asking Their Residents for HelpReflections on maternity leave and smart cities Last year, as I prepared for new motherhood, friends and books consistently offered this advice: get comfortable asking for help. Three months into motherhood, I have indeed become more comfortable asking for help, and I have found it to be an enlightening and…Reflections3 min readReflections3 min read
Published in Cityfi·Mar 8, 2021Updates From the Cityfi World of Social Return on Investment (SROI)Dedicated readers of our blog know that we at Cityfi are interested in developing a more comprehensive framework for cost-benefit analysis — one that incorporates the impacts on everything from equity and quality of life to health and safety and the economy. In addition to being more comprehensive, we envision…Cost Benefit Analysis2 min readCost Benefit Analysis2 min read
Published in Cityfi·Oct 6, 2020Two Years In: A Reflection and Update on Smart City Planning with Kate Kigongo of West Hollywood, CAFrom 2017 to 2018, Cityfi partnered with the City of West Hollywood to create the WeHo Smart City Strategic Plan, an ambitious initiative to holistically weave technology into the fabric of the city and better serve all community members. Now, two years after its launch, the 5-year plan’s implementation is…Smart Cities5 min readSmart Cities5 min read
Published in Cityfi·Sep 18, 2020Three Lessons From 2020 on Redesigning Public PensionsAs we all know, 2020 has been a very difficult year emotionally and economically across the public and private sectors. At the same time, it has presented opportunities to make lasting positive change in terms of how organizations adapt to change and prepare for risks. While pensions have largely been…Government3 min readGovernment3 min read
Aug 4, 2020Clean Streets Santa Monica Community OrganizingTrash on the streets is much more than an eyesore. It finds its way into the ocean and into the food web, harming us and the planet. Let’s do something about it. The last big social gathering I participated in before quarantine was a screening of The Story of Plastic…Santa Monica4 min readSanta Monica4 min read
Jun 25, 2020To Make The US More Equitable, Congress Should Do The ObviousThe Estate Tax threshold is absurd, simple to fix, and has a major impact on generational wealth inequality. “Surely, an unknown gambler’s hand shakes the cup, casts you out, and out there you count upon landing either for a lot or very little. But after the die has been cast…Policy4 min readPolicy4 min read
Published in Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That!·Feb 14, 2020Sacred Economics in Practice: Opposing CA Prop 13?$11B of interest on a $15B investment in public schools is hard to swallow. My economic philosophy has been evolving lately. I’ve become a bit more anti-growth, a bit more pro-local, and a whole lot more interested in debt and interest as key pieces of the puzzle to make capitalism…California2 min readCalifornia2 min read
Published in Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That!·Nov 21, 2019Sacred EconomicsHow to protect and enhance the commonwealth In my first ever Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That! post, I wrote about Economic Development. Ray Dalio’s “How The Economic Machine Works” video clicked for me in a way that economics and public policy courses hadn’t, and I wanted to explain my…Economics9 min readEconomics9 min read
Published in Cityfi·Jun 25, 2019Spotlight on Portland, ME with City Councilor Spencer ThibodeauAs City Councilor and chair of Portland’s Transportation and Sustainability Committee, Spencer Thibodeau has pushed for a wealth of environmental legislation, mobility investments, and quality-of-life improvements. In this interview, he shares insights with Cityfi about prioritizing issues and exchanging ideas from his experience as councilor and now as a mayoral…Portland4 min readPortland4 min read
Published in Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That!·May 3, 2019The Social Cost of Cheap CornThe US government encourages the production of commodity corn. The resulting surplus harms society — from obesity to antimicrobial resistance to water pollution. Understanding these social costs is the first step to addressing them. Comparing the costs and benefits visually can help with understanding. America’s Corn Surplus For the past 50 years, US…Food3 min readFood3 min read
