Data-Smart City Pod

In this episode  Professor Steve Goldsmith discusses the new report Segmented Pricing for Fines and Fees with co-authors Jean-Pierre Dubé, Bryan Glenn, and Shayne Kavanagh. Part of the broader Rethinking Revenue project, they discuss how cities can actually improve revenue collection, while increasing equity in fines and fees, by identifying right pricing.    Music credit: Summer-Man by Ketsa Abou...

In this episode Editor Betsy Gardner interviews Professor Steve Goldsmith and Kate Markin Coleman about their newest book, Growing Fairly: How to Build Opportunity and Equity in Workforce Development  . They discuss the inspiration for this book, how this moment is ripe for equitable development, and why they're ultimately optimistic about workforce reform.   Music credit: Summer-Man by Ketsa Abou...

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 Senior Editor Betsy Gardner interviews Professor Steve Goldsmith and Kate Markin Coleman about their newest book, Collaborative Cities: Mapping Solutions to Wicked Problems . They discuss how their respective backgrounds in local government and nonprofits inform their ideas about collaboration and how important it is to work across sectors in order to improve services for residents...

In this episode Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Allie Kelly, the Executive Director of transportation and sustainability nonprofit The Ray and Andrew Heath, Deputy Chief Engineer of Georgia's Department of Transportation about their work incorporating emerging technologies along I-85. The highway of the future will be connected and data-rich, and thanks to this partnership the state can emplo...

In this episode Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews William J. Flynn, the CEO of Amtrak, about navigating COVID-19, the intersection of trains and climate change, and the future of rail travel. As the CEO of a government-owned corporation and a major infrastructure system, Flynn discusses how Amtrak plans to build back better by engaging a new workforce, increasing digital infrastructure, and imp...

In this episode, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews David Eaves, author and lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. Eaves recently co-authored the 2020 State of Digital Transformation report, and the two discuss the publication, trends in digital governance, cross-sector collaboration, and the importance of government transparency. Music credit: Summer-Man by Ketsa About Data-Sm...

In the second 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, a...

In the third episode of Data-Smart City Pod, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Maryland’s Geographic Information Officer ​Julia Fischer, and Maureen Regan, a deputy director at Maryland's Department of Health. In this podcast, they discuss how a centralized GIS system prepared the state to handle the dynamic and rapidly changing COVID-19 pandemic in order to best protect Marylanders, and how im...

In this special episode, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Mayor Ras Baraka as part of an event on addressing vaccine hesitancy. Based in a recent research project of 18 American cities using sentiment mining, Professor Goldsmith interviews the Mayors to understand how they’re using data, policy, and influence to understand the concerns of their residents and ensure th...

In this episode, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Kip Harkness, the deputy city manager for San Jose, California. Harkness is in charge of the city’s IT and innovation portfolios; despite being in the middle of Silicon Valley, many low-income residents don’t have access to broadband internet. Thanks to efficient digital permits, a partnership with national telecommunications providers, and a d...

In this episode, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews the renowned professor, author, and urbanist Richard Florida. They talk about the interconnectedness of shared labor markets, how to address racially concentrated disadvantage, and the importance of a living wage. Tune in to hear Professors Goldsmith and Florida discuss concentrated advantage and disadvantage, and how cities can use data in a m...

In this episode, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Jack Dangermond, the founder and president of Esri. They talk about the way cities can utilize multi-dimension GIS, how important mapping is for equity-focused organizations and the interrelatedness of systems and policies.  Listen below, or wherever you get your podcasts, to hear Professor Goldsmith and Jack Dangermond discuss the invention of...

In this episode, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Christen Watts, GIS Manager at the city of Asheville, and Scott Barnwell, the city's Business and Public Technology Manager. They discuss how Asheville is using data and GIS to further racial equity in the city and correct for historical, systemic racism. They also talk about equitable asset management, how equity is everyone's responsibility,...

In this episode, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson. They discuss the role of the mayor in maintaining public safety, balancing community values, and prioritizing research-based ideas over reactionary polarization. Tune in to hear Professor Goldsmith and Mayor Johnson talk about the positive strides Dallas has made against violent crime, how mayors can implement non-law...

This episode is a lightly edited version of a recent panel discussion about our newest paper, “Toward a Smarter Future: Building Back Better with Intelligent Civil Infrastructure -- Smart Sensors and Self-Monitoring Civil Works." Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews co-authors Betsy Gardner and Jill Jamieson, and subject matter expert Professor Luna Lu, about why developing intelligent infrastruct...

This episode a conversation between Professor Steve Goldsmith and transit expert Andrew Salzberg. Previously the director of transportation policy at Uber and a fellow at Graduate School of Design at Harvard Kennedy School, Salzberg currently advocates for open mobility as a service in Montreal, Canada at Transit. A twist on the "mobility as a service" idea, Salzberg argues that transportation tec...

This episode is a conversation between Professor Steve Goldsmith and Ricardo Hausmann, the Rafik Hariri Professor of the Practice of International Political Economy and director of the Growth Lab, one of the most well-regarded and influential hubs for research on international development. Professor Hausmann discusses the Lab's new Metroverse tool, a powerful yet easy-to-use data visualization of...

In this episode Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Sharon Weston Broome, the mayor of Baton Rouge. Mayor Broome talks about leading a data-driven city, prioritizing resident engagement, and how the city relies on GIS data to manage climate resiliency. Tune in to learn about data-driven flood mitigation, What Works Cities certification, and how to build a resilient city. Music credit: Summer-Man...

In the first episode of Data-Smart City Pod, Professor Steve Goldsmith talks with Rex Richardson and Darin Chidsey, respectively the president and chief operating officer of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). They discuss SCAG’s regional data platform, one of the most interesting models in the country of using multi-jurisdictional GIS and data to improve quality of life for...

In this episode, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Maria-Alicia Serrano, Senior Director of Research, Analytics, and Insights at the YMCA of the USA. As an organization operating in over 10,000 neighborhoods across the country, the YMCA relies on geospatial data tools to understand each local community and work with individual Ys to address pressing issues of equity, public health, and mental w...