Video Archive: Summit on Government Performance and Innovation
Archive of Live Stream and Live Blog from Louisville
The GOVERNING Summit on Government Performance and Innovation convened a powerful network of public-sector leaders and innovators in Louisville, Ky., to celebrate achievements in government transformation. You can watch an archive of any of six plenary sessions that was live streamed from the event (above) or read through the live blog (below) of the plenary sessions.
Live Blog
Mayor Fischer of Louisville also offered an idea on how cities can tap into the creativity of their residents to help everyone. He pointed to an effort to capitalize on Kentucky's status as the birthplace of bourbon. Through marketing and investment, the state has attracted some $500 million around distilleries, warehouses, distribution and hospitality. That's from embracing "bourbonism," as he put it.
2:49 p.m.
Mayors gathered for a panel called "Cities as Change Makers" and kicked off the discussion by identifying the forces that will shape cities in the future.
Mayor Karl Dean of Nashville said cities have to take note of growing diversity. Over the past decade, he said, the percentage of Nashville residents born in other countries jumped to 12 percent from 2 percent. These new residents and others are choosing to live in city cores, which itself marks a major change, Dean argued.
Mayor Kasim Reed of Atlanta built off that, noting that announcements of businesses investing in the Atlanta area are increasingly going downtown, instead of the nearby suburbs. Millennials and baby boomers will continue flocking to city cores, though both will have different needs, he said.
But with that comes a responsibility for policymakers to find ways to maintain affordability so anyone who wants to has "a fair shot" to live in a city center.
Mayor Betsy Hodges of Minneapolis said the defining challenge as cities become increasingly diverse and racial minorities become the majorities will be addressing disparities in health, housing, education and other areas. "The future depends on how well we adapt to changing social and economic conditions in the 21st century," she said.
She said former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's philanthropic organization focused on metro areas is helping the city analyze data on service delivery and suggest changes where they're not being distributed equitably.
Opening Keynote: Aaron M. Renn, Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow, on "The Evolving City"
1:50 p.m.
Kicking off the summit with a welcoming address, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer says about 300 people are at the summit, in addition to dozens of others joining in online throughout the country.
Fischer starts off his address by talking about the importance of local government and its day-to-day interactions with its citizens. He cites a recent Zogby poll that found that citizens trusted their city governments the most to do a good job.
“This is not a social experiment; it’s about results,” Fischer says, noting results-oriented actions can include establishing more 911 call centers or asking citizens for suggestions about air qualities. “We’re trying to fundamentally alter the nature of the relationship between government and its citizens -- and [improve] the level of trust.”