Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Photo from CNNMoney
The Post-Industrial-Knowledge-Service Economy
Rising out of the depths of the Great Recession, we are living in turbulent and fiscally uncertain times. We’re trapped between employment and financial uncertainties, and an ever-widening knowledge and skills gap. We are feeling the reverberation of the push for a post-industrial, service-industry economy that has resulted in low-skill, low-pay jobs; at the same time, technological advancements have given way to a “knowledge-based economy” characterized by greater flexibility, innovation and knowledge production, and a shift away from labor toward social capital and the exchange of ideas.
In spite of this perplexing narrative, one piece of the story has remained consistent: skepticism of the usefulness and effectiveness of government is on the rise. The public is not happy with the public sector. But Americans are rethinking what is no longer working; many have figured out that the directional nature of change does not have to be the traditional top-down flow from Washington to states to localities.
Municipal Innovation: The Bottom-Up Solution
It is true that the challenges cities face cover a wide variety of issues. Tack on budget deficits, looming bankruptcies, and the temptation to contract out government services, and it is clear that community improvement is not an easy task. Yet city governments across the country realize that they cannot afford to sit idly, waiting for Washington to make change.
Instead, through municipal innovation city governments have taken a cross-sector, cross-generational approach to tackle some of the most serious issues in their communities. Innovative government leaders have established collaborative infrastructures to more effectively connect the human, social, and physical capital of their communities. These leaders work to facilitate and foster greater efficiency and transparency within government and throughout public service careers in order to better provide public services.
Municipal innovation has opened the doors to greater collaboration between government agencies, community-based organizations, the private sector, and citizens. Cities are learning to do more with less, and improve upon the assets of their communities. As a result, cities have become the drivers and incubators of social change and better governance. And by sharing their innovative ideas and success stories, cities are paving the way for greater change across America everyday.
The Marriage of Technology and Civic Engagement
Municipal innovation is unique because it utilizes technology and intensifies public engagement in the decision-making process. Through technological advancements, city governments can easily measure performance as well as identify and preempt internal problems. The use of data analytics has changed government personnel and administrative procedures, in turn improving the effectiveness and transparency of government.
Cities have also incorporated the use of technology in the provision of services. Social media and online forums have transformed the traditional “town hall” meetings. City agencies can hear directly from the community, quickly identify problems, and use the information to create immediate solutions. With digital interactive platforms, city agencies can easily upload plans and proposed solutions that are accessible to community members, who in turn can provide their comments and suggestions.
The instantaneous movement and exchange of ideas central to municipal innovation embodies the flexibility of the knowledge economy. Constant creation and reinvention facilitates a new awareness of where money is being channeled in a community, which has subsequent implications for resource allocation and problem-solving. The use of technology to fuel innovation also empowers whole communities by bringing life to voices of those previously unheard from.
Re-Imagining America through the Lens of Innovation
Through the innovative use of 21stcentury technological advancements, cities are helping propel the country out of uncertainty, away from the inadequacies of the envisioned post-industrial economy, and toward a more sustainable future fully utilizing the resources of the knowledge economy. Municipal innovation showcases an intrinsic strength of cities: they are big enough to make a difference, but small enough to make things happen quickly and effectively. Innovative cities, the emergence of a new, creative class of thinkers, and an active and engaged public sets a strong foundation to a bottom-up solution that unites all levels of a community. Strong and successful cities have become essential to a strong America, but re-imaging America through the lens of innovation makes for longstanding change. Cities will come to embody the change you wish to see, because change will be your vision of a better future.
***
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Jenna Chilingerian is a CEOs for Cities Summer Success Fellow. Jenna is a Fresno, California native and recent graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles. Jenna received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Civic Engagement, and earned both College Honors and Summa Cum Laude Latin Honors. She recently moved to Cleveland, Ohio to complete a summer City Success Fellowship with CEOs for Cities.