Municipal Equation Podcast

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EP 20: Sister City Stories Mar 14, 2017

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No doubt you've heard of sister cities. You probably even have a vague idea, at least, of the concept. Perhaps your town has a sister city in a far-off country. But do you know the origin of sister cities? How the concept took off? And what it's evolved to? And that it's greased the track for huge business relationships? And probably even saved lives? It's fascinating when you dig in. We do so on this episode. Show notes: http://sister-cities.org/ http://www.sistercitiesofcary.org/ http://sistercities-burlington.org/ https://d.lib.ncsu.edu/collections/catalog/AV2_FM_296-people2people https://www.youtube.com/user/SisterCitiesIntl

Preview of Episode 20: Sister Cities Mar 07, 2017

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Preview of Episode 20, about Sister Cities.

EP 19: 'The Other Side' Feb 28, 2017

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A local police department is trying to change perceptions between officers and youths -- via unscripted, uncoached, one-on-one conversations broadcast out to the world in a high-quality web series. Real moments, both candid and heavy, drive each episode of "The Other Side," which seeks to not only humanize police officers but also highlight how simply talking eye-to-eye at a relaxed pace can build trust, rapport and understanding in a world where distrust, fear and misconception can run wild. On this episode, we talk with the Fuquay-Varina (North Carolina) Police Department and video production company Amazing Studios about how the series came to be and how it's been received around town. Show notes: Full episodes of 'The Other Side' - http://www.fuquay-varina.org/783/The-Other-Side-Videos Homepage - www.otherside.tv Fuquay-Varina Police Department on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fvpolice/ Amazing Studios - http://amazingstudiosinc.com Past episode, 'Restarting the Law Enforcement Conversation' - https://soundcloud.com/municipalequation/ep-06

Preview of Episode 19: Cops, Youths, Cameras, No Script Feb 21, 2017

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A preview of Episode 19.

EP 18: The Smart Cities Primer Feb 14, 2017

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It's okay to admit you're not fully up to speed on "smart cities" or the "Internet of Things." A lot of people aren't. The talk is so ubiquitous that it might feel like a runaway topic that's tough to break into. Or maybe you're from a small town and think smart-cities and IoT are more of a big-city conversation. But it concerns just about everybody, everywhere. So what does it really mean? As initiatives and projects multiply in the focus of smart cities and IoT -- and while the federal government is actively soliciting comment on a new plan to collaborate with local communities toward smart-city enhancements -- this episode explains the who-what-when-where-why to get us all up on the essentials. Because now is the time to know. Show notes: -Draft "Smart Cities and Communities Federal Strategic Plan: Exploring Innovation Together" and Request for Comments https://www.nitrd.gov/news/RFI-SCC-Federal-Strategic-Plan.aspx -NLC report: "Trends in Smart City Development" http://www.nlc.org/article/new-report-on-smart-cities-released-by-national-league-of-cities -News story, "3 Insights from NLC's Smart Cities Report" http://www.statetechmagazine.com/article/2017/02/3-insights-nlc-s-smart-cities-report -News story, "Greensboro to Participate in National 'Smart City' Program in March" http://wunc.org/post/greensboro-participate-national-smart-city-program-march#stream/0 -News story, "Envisioning Smart Cities" https://smartcitiesworld.net/news/news/envisioning-smart-cities-1352?platform=hootsuite -Callback to EP 07, "The Value of 'Digital Mindsets' in Local Government" https://soundcloud.com/municipalequation/ep-07 -Thought piece, "A City is Not a Computer" https://placesjournal.org/article/a-city-is-not-a-computer/

Preview of Episode 18: Talkin' Smart Cities Feb 07, 2017

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A preview of Municipal Equation Episode 18.

EP 17: 'That High Lonesome Data' Jan 31, 2017

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What do Dobros and datasets have in common? We're about to find out. On this episode we talk with A'yen Tran and Jer Thorp of the New York-based Office for Creative Research to hear about their folksy initiative -- a finalist in the 2017 Knight Cities Challenge, no less -- to strengthen civic engagement via bluegrass music. Mystified? Well, the modern wave of data in municipal policymaking can sometimes mystify, too, at least when put in the form of charts and graphs for public consumption. Could data-fied mountain string music -- and lessons from the past that changed the history of bluegrass -- strike a new chord? Listen and learn why this novel approach is a Knight Cities finalist. Show notes: A'yen Tran, Jer Thorp and the Office for Creative Research - https://ocr.nyc Tran-authored piece, "Cultural Data Collection in Appalachia" - https://medium.com/memo-random/cultural-data-collection-in-appalachia-9c4a9547e80f#.l39hmhnrp 2017 Knight Cities Challenge Finalists, including "That High Lonesome Data" - http://www.knightfoundation.org/articles/144-finalists-advance-in-2017-knight-cities-challenge GovTech coverage about the project - http://www.govtech.com/civic/Demystifying-Civic-Data-Through-Song-and-10-Other-Civic-Tech-Finalists-in-the-Knight-Cities-Challenge.html A front-porch tune from Bascom Lunsford - https://youtu.be/FS_BeQMWUEA

Preview of Episode 17: Bluegrass and Civic Data? Jan 25, 2017

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A preview of the next Municipal Equation

EP 16: Sketching Suspects with DNA Jan 17, 2017

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Are we catching up to pop-fiction's futuristic portrayal of DNA in crimesolving? How about a technology that can sketch up an image of a suspect based solely on a sample of his or her DNA? The Fayetteville, North Carolina, Police Department is one of just a few local law enforcement agencies in the U.S. openly using such a tool. Applying it to a decade-old, unsolved local case of a serial rapist, the FPD is catching new tips after releasing facial renderings based on analysis of the perpetrator's DNA -- a potentially important development, as victims didn't get a clear look at his face and could only give authorities limited descriptions. FPD says it's using this innovation cautiously but wants to show the public that the department is willing to try cutting-edge techniques to bring about justice. Hear how it works on this episode. Show notes: Complete details about the 'Ramsey Street Rapist' suspect - https://nextdoor.com/agency-post/nc/fayetteville/fayetteville-police-department/fayetteville-police-department-media-release-38457122/ Report leads on the case to FPD at 910-483-8477 or 910-433-1855 Fayetteville Observer story about 'Ramsey Street Rapist,' with composite images of suspect - http://www.fayobserver.com/news/local/fayetteville-police-closer-to-catching-ramsey-street-rapist/article_1509b1c0-6bac-5384-8c09-958a510467eb.html Police release DNA-based photos of 'Ramsey Street Rapist' - http://wncn.com/2016/12/14/fayetteville-police-release-dna-based-photos-of-ramsey-street-rapist/ More details - http://abc11.com/news/fayetteville-pd-hopes-new-technology-helps-catch-rapist/1657206/ NBC News from 2014 on "dying art" of police sketches - http://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/dying-art-forensic-sketch-artists-face-digital-future-n41421 AP story on oldschool police sketch artistry - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3512027/Sketchy-work-Police-artists-nab-bad-guys-pencil-paper.html BBC coverage of Alec Jeffreys and DNA - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/8245312.stm More - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5405470.stm

EP 15: 2016 Dec 27, 2016

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Our 2016 year-end.

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