Data-Smart City Pod

At a recent event held at Harvard University the author and professor Gregg Colburn spoke to chiefs of staff and deputy mayors of 30 large US cities, and we're releasing the audio of that speech with a bonus question and answer session. Listen to Colburn discuss the role of housing availability in homelessness, and explain how even when individual factors such as mental illness and substance abuse...

In this episode host Professor Stephen Goldsmith interviews  Luis Videgaray, director of MIT AI Policy for the World Project, senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and former Foreign Minister and Finance Minister of Mexico. In this captivating discussion they explore the dynamic landscape of AI adoption in cities, from basic applications to transformative processes, why generative...

In this episode Professor Goldsmith interviews Clarence Anthony, the CEO and executive director of the National League of Cities. Both former mayors, they discuss how leading at the local level means leading first - which provides an opportunity for cities to lead the way on technological innovation, racial equity, and accessibility.  Music credit: Summer-Man by Ketsa About Data-Smart City Solutio...

In this episode Professor Goldsmith interviews Professor Dan Huttenlocher, inaugural dean of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and expert  on artificial intelligence and computer science. They discuss the different ways that generative AI could be used by governments, in service of constituents, and what kinds of operational standards are required for the productive and safe use of AI techno...

In this episode Professor Goldsmith interviews Dr. Latanya Sweeney, an influential expert in the areas of tech policy, data privacy, bias, and regulation. Previously Chief Technologist at the Federal Trade Commission and a pivotal figure in the formation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), Dr. Sweeney discusses how cities can better create inclusive and tran...

In this episode professor and economist Edward Glaeser answers questions sourced from city leaders at Data-Smart's recent Project on Municipal event, which gathered chiefs of staff and deputy mayors from 30 of the largest US cities. Listen to him talk about how cities can utilize their comparative advantages, why mayors must focus on schools rather than attracting "white whales," and how to attrac...

In this episode, Professor Stephen Goldsmith interviews Amanda Daflos, current executive director of the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University and former chief innovation officer for the city of Los Angeles. They discuss Amanda's data-driven approach to police recruitment in LA, how her local government experience informs her role now, and why it's important for innova...

At a recent event held at Harvard University the author, professor, and renowned urbanist Richard Florida spoke to chiefs of staff and deputy mayors of 30 large US cities, and we're releasing the audio of that speech with a bonus question and answer session. Listen to Florida talk about the way the pandemic spread the housing unaffordability crisis, why cities must stop chasing businesses to the b...

Professor Goldsmith talks with Zach Tumin and Maddy Want about their new book "Precisely: Working with Precision Systems in a World of Data." Want and Tumin review what a precision system is, explain the importance of real-time data, and discuss real-world examples. They review what precision looks like in practice - both the successes and failures - what we can learn from them. Music credit: Summ...

In this episode Professor Goldsmith interviews Carlos Martín about his work as the project director of the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University. They discuss Martín's background as an architect and engineer and how that informs his view of public policy and governance, the history of displacement in America, and why community bonds are a key aspe...

In this episode Professor Goldsmith interviews Dr. Hollie Russon Gilman, a political scientist and civic strategist researching the intersection of civic engagement, digital technology, and governance. They discuss Gilman's work assisting with participatory budgeting processes, her democracy research at the Harvard Ash Center, and how - and when - to provide more inclusive opportunities for civic...

In this episode Professor Goldsmith interviews Carlo Ratti, professor of Urban Technologies and the founder of the groundbreaking Senseable City Lab at MIT .  They discuss new frontiers in urban data, edge computing, and rethinking the relationship between the environment, the urban environment and health. Ratti also explains why city leaders have to break from the past and why "best practices" ar...

In this episode Professor Goldsmith talks with co-author Betsy Gardner about their newest paper, Implementing Digital Infrastructure Responses to Equity, Sustainability, and Safety . Supported by the Knight Foundation, this work discusses how cities can investment in digital infrastructure to increase equity, reduce life-cycle costing, and implement the Responsive City Cycle . Music credit: Summer...

In this episode Professor Goldsmith talks with Professor Elizabeth Linos, director of The People Lab and an expert in data and evidence-based policymaking who researches how to best support the people of government and the communities they serve. They discuss Linos' path from practitioner to academic, the role of geographic data in service improvement, and how behavioral science can help governmen...

In this episode of the Data-Smart City Pod, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Kelly Jin, Vice President for Community and National Initiatives at the Knight Foundation and former Chief Analytics Officer for the city of New York. They discuss the recent Infrastructure Innovation Summit, cohosted by the Knight Foundation and Data-Smart City Solutions at Harvard University, where folks from cities...

In this episode of the Data-Smart City Pod, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Christine Ma, the Urban Planning Practice Lead at Esri Professional Services. They discuss how cities can use digital, cloud-based copies of the built environment  as a foundation for urban planning and community engagement, while addressing sustainability, resiliency, and equity. Christine also highlights lessons she...

In this episode of Data-Smart City Pod, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Elana Needle, the director of the Racial Equity Anchor Collaborative at the Latino civil rights organization UnidosUS. The Anchor Collaborative is a collection of national, multi-racial organizations that advances equity by visualizing, tracking, and sharing data on issues like census responses, voter suppression, and pol...

In this episode Professor Stephen Goldsmith, Ernani Choma (postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard), and Matt Raifman (Ph. D. candidate at Boston University) discuss their new report, which revealed that the racial disparities in traffic deaths is actually worse than previously believed. They discuss why this is the case, what still needs to be studied, and how cities can collect better data to ad...

In this episode Professor Stephen Goldsmith and Hilary Rau, Vice President of Policy and Community Engagement at the Center for Policing Equity, discuss what public safety means, how and why it's being redefined, and the role of data in reducing harm while improving quality of life. Rau also outlines the ways that community safety and trust can be enhanced through infrastructure and public health...

In this episode Professor Stephen Goldsmith and Executive Director of Baltimore's Parking Authority Peter Little discuss how he manages occupancy, parking rates, and open spaces in the city. As part of Baltimore's innovation work, Little is pioneering demand-based parking rates that help manage city spaces, provide more accurate costs for drivers, and offer options for parking costs. Music credit:...

In this episode Professor Stephen Goldsmith and Denver's Chief Data Officer Paul Kresser talk about the importance of ethically and responsibly using data to inform policy and service delivery. Kresser also discusses Denver's strong data culture, how to incorporate data literacy into department trainings, and why it's important to have this work codified legislatively.   Music credit: Summer-Man b...

In this episode Earl Buford, president of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, moderates a virtual book talk with Growing Fairly co-authors Professor Stephen Goldsmith and Kate Markin Coleman. They discuss supporting adult learners, skills as currency, the need for transparency workforce data, and the importance of system change. This interview was recorded as part of a recent event ho...

In this episode Professor Goldsmith interviews Dr. Ben Weston, Chief Health Policy Advisor and Director of Medical Services for Milwaukee County. Dr. Weston discusses his roles in the county and how his team collected and mapped data to inform both COVID-19 responses and vaccination delivery, with a specific lens on health equity. As one of the first counties to declare racism a public health cris...

In this episode Professor Goldsmith interviews architect and author Vishaan Chakrabarti about his work in the public, private, and academic sectors, how urban planning is changing in response to social movements, and why public spaces are so important in today's fragmented society. They also discuss planning for an uncertain future in regards to climate change and urban resiliency, and how to incl...

March is National Procurement Month, and in this episode  Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Kailey Burger, the Managing Director of the Procurement and Economic Mobility Practice at the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab. Burger discusses her experience seeing service delivery on the ground working in Bronx Family Court,  the two prongs of equity and economic mobility, and how th...