There is nothing new in the world. In ancient times, when the invading hoard is approaching the city, the wise leader sends an emissary through the front gate to parley. In today’s economy, these same tactics can be employed by cities seeking to quickly gain an understanding of what a startup is proposing, how that proposal
This is an excerpt from a report we released earlier this year, Assessing the Future of Our Work. The rise of new technologies drastically changed the nature of work throughout history, both as a cause of and a response to massive historical shifts. Cities feel these shifts most acutely, serving as the places where these
Opportunity youth comprise a large share of the nearly five million 16-24 year olds out of school and out of work across the U.S. The group has one of the least secure footholds in the evolving structure of employment. Not only do these young people lack jobs; many also lack the training and credentials to
This is a guest post by Brian Aylward, association manager for Tyler Technologies. Performance management was a hot topic recently at Socrata Connect. The most common feeling among the municipal staff, leaders and visionaries in attendance was a conflicting context of increased expectations and limited resources. One way for city leaders and staff to thrive
In a time of rapid technological change, how should mayors and other local elected officials make long-term investments? It seems like every day, a new study comes out claiming to predict how technology will redefine cities, work and daily life. Unfortunately, when it comes to writing about the future, modesty doesn’t sell and most reports
This is a guest post by Mayor Mark Stodola, Little Rock, Arkansas, president of the National League of Cities. Since January, the National League of Cities has been looking at work in cities in a whole new way. We’ve been conducting new research, highlighting promising practices, engaging new partners, and publishing new resources. Our focus
This is a guest post by Steve Vermette, vice president of brokerage at Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company. While the 2018 State of the Cities report listed economic development, infrastructure, budgets, housing and public safety as the top priorities for U.S. mayors, many communities are not properly staffed to tackle these initiatives. Budget shortfalls and static pay
I have witnessed firsthand how community colleges have changed lives. Following a five-year tenure at city hall with the former president of the New York City Council, who ran for mayor and was defeated, I landed a job at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), one of seven community colleges in the City University of
This is a guest post by Lawrence Mishel, distinguished fellow at the Economic Policy Institute. Over the last few years, a persistent wave of media stories has used the emergence of gig jobs to illustrate the expansion of “freelancing,” often describing a rapidly “changing nature of work” that will eventually result in a large share
Imagine you are the head of a local business or international corporation. What are the skills your new hires must have? While technological skills such as coding and computer science skills are incredibly important to land the highest paying jobs, social-emotional skills such as empathy, critical thinking, collaboration and teamwork, and interpersonal communication are top
