Stay ConnectedFrom the Wiki for local government innovation, the Govlaunch podcast shares the stories of local government innovators and their efforts to build better governments. Through conversations with cities and towns around the world, each episode explores creative solutions to the challenges communities face, and what local governments can learn from each other’s successes and failures.
Visit govlaunch.com for more stories and examples of local government innovation.
Copyright: © 2021 Govlaunch Inc.
The City of Edmonton developed advanced AI software to predict whether home builders will pass low-risk inspections. This software enables the city to automatically pass inspections for builders with good track records. We'll catch up with Ben Gready and Juan Monterrosa to discuss how this software frees up staff resources to focus on more complicated inspections that pose a higher risk to public safety and shortens timelines for builders.
Read more about Edmonton's AI framework and data-driven solutions.
More info:
Featured government: Edmonton, AB
Episode guests: Ben Gready, Data Scientist at the City of Edmonton, and Juan Monterrosa, Director of Codes and Inspections at the City of Edmonton
Visit govlaunch.com for more stories and examples of local government innovation.
To serve its massive citizen base and local government workforce, Clark County’s IT department is blending technology solutions with good old fashioned in-person time. We'll catch up with Nadia Hansen to talk about the county’s hybrid approach to digital transformation — from telework for government workers to citizen services.
More info:
Featured government: Clark County, NV
Episode guest: Nadia Hansen, Chief Information Officer for Clark County
Visit govlaunch.com for more stories and examples of local government innovation.
The City of Darwin in Australia recently introduced a large-scale smart lighting initiative, saving citizens an estimated A$600,000 in annual rates. We'll touch base with Joshua Sattler to shed light on the project's impact beyond cost savings and explore Darwin's leading approach to smart city innovation overall.
More info
Featured government: Darwin, NT
Episode guest: Joshua Sattler, General Manager for Innovation, Growth and Development Services at the City of Darwin
Read more about Darwin's big-picture plans for its smart city program.
Visit govlaunch.com for more stories and examples of local government innovation.
Louisville recently implemented an innovative pilot focusing on smoke alarms in vacant buildings with help from an unconventional source – hackers! Louisville's Innovation Delivery Team, with support from different partners including fire industry professionals, sponsored a hackathon to see if anyone from the local community could come up with an inexpensive, wireless fire detector that could communicate via Wi-Fi or cellular networks. Through this process, hardware was developed (the device is named CASPER) and is now helping to quell fires in abandoned buildings throughout the city.
More info:
Featured government: Louisville Metro Government
Episode guests: Ed Blayney, Civic Technology Manager for Louisville Metro Government.
Read more about how Louisville is taking a page from the tech world, organizing collaborative challenges to tackle everything from fire prevention to the digital divide.
Visit govlaunch.com for more stories and examples of local government innovation.
When it comes to leveraging technology and getting the most out of their people to drive innovation, London, Ontario, stands out. We dive into the City of London’s strategy, centered on digital services and giving their people autonomy and full support to succeed. We cover a few of the neat projects in the works from use of AI and predictive analytics for insights on those at risk of falling into homelessness to an INFOSEC clearinghouse with potential to be leveraged by other municipalities.
More info:
Featured government: London, ON
Episode guests: Mat Daley, Director of Information Technology for London, Ontario
Read more about how London takes technology beyond its city limits, from information security and AI to big-picture thinking around leadership, the city pairs technology with a thoughtful management approach to drive results beyond its borders.
Visit govlaunch.com for more stories and examples of local government innovation.
Beyond attracting startups to the community through a newly launched tech accelerator, the Town of Innisfil, ON is embracing startup thinking and culture internally, to make local government more efficient. This includes using problem- and solution-validation, and building momentum for change by focusing on small wins. We'll catch up with Dan Taylor and Jelmer Stegink to talk about how local governments can shift their approach to problem solving.
More info:
Featured government: Innisfil, ON
Episode guests: Dan Taylor, Economic Development Catalyst at Town of Innisfil, & Jelmer Stegink, Investment Accelerator at Town of Innisfil
Read more about how Innisfil is using lean startup methodology to manage and drive innovation.
Visit govlaunch.com for more stories and examples of local government innovation.
When it comes to traffic management, Cranberry Township, PA sets the example. The town sits at the crossroads of major routes in Western Pennsylvania, putting it in the risk zone for major congestion. To combat this, Cranberry has always taken an innovative approach to traffic management — and now they’ve rolled out a new system that will notify them of potential backups even faster.
More info:
Featured government: Cranberry Township, PA
Episode guests: Jason Dailey, Director of Public Works, and Kelly Mauer, Assistant Director of Public Works
Read more about how Cranberry Township gets creative across local government.
Visit govlaunch.com for more stories and examples of local government innovation.
When faced with unsatisfying options to improve the procurement process, Mississauga chose to design its own. We'll catch up with Brian Smith to talk about how to decide whether to use a product or build one yourself, and what it takes to bring a new tool to life.
More info:
Featured government: Mississauga, ON
Episode guest: Brian Smith, Senior Buyer and eBidding Lead at the City of Mississauga
Read more about how Mississauga is modernizing its procurement process.
Visit govlaunch.com for more stories and examples of local government innovation.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
