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ABOUT THE SMARTER CITIES CHALLENGE
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In 2010, IBM Citizenship created the Smarter Cities Challenge to help 100 cities over a three-year period to address some of the critical challenges facing cities. We do this by contributing the time and expertise of our top experts from different business units and geographies, putting them on the ground for three weeks to work closely with city leaders and deliver recommendations on how to make the city smarter and more effective.http://smartercitieschallenge.org/about.html
We have learned a tremendous amount about the challenges facing today's cities and how IBM, through the expertise of its employees, can add value as city leaders look for solutions. In particular, we have found that cities are most often struggling to:
Do more with less In today's difficult global economy, municipal governments are struggling with demands to increase basic services and to do so with fewer available resources. Smarter Cities Challenge teams from Newark to Mecklenburg County have delivered recommendations that are helping these cities make smarter, more strategic investments in their communities, maximizing value in the long term.
Bridge silos in information and operations Even as cities tackle issues that cut across segments of society - for example, transportation policies that affect economic development - their operations are organized and their data is collected separately. Our work in cities like St. Louis, Providence and Ho Chi Minh City has revealed that changes in technology, data analytics and other tools can help cities bridge those gaps and enhance collaboration across departments.
Use civic engagement to drive better results When cities contemplate new ways to deliver basic services, support from their citizens is essential to their success. Citizens who are uninformed or disengaged cannot support, and may actively oppose, even the best policies. In collaboration with their IBM teams, cities like Guadalajara, Townsville and Sendai are reimagining their relationships with citizens, leveraging them as both sources of data - the pulse of the city - and as partners in seeding change.
Invest in infrastructure for better management Many of today's cities are suffering from years of disinvestment in basic infrastructure, and especially technology infrastructure. These gaps, due in part to budgetary pressure but also to the regular turnover of leadership, have kept cities, their leaders and citizens from realizing their full potential, slowing economic development and constraining their ability to make informed, data-driven decisions. Smarter Cities Challenge engagements all over the world are demonstrating how the right investments in infrastructure can introduce long-term efficiencies and dramatically transform a city's prospects for growth.
2012 RECIPIENTS (The Americas Only)
Atlanta, GA
Boston, MA
Curitiba, Brazil
Durham, NC
Houston, TX
Jacksonville, FL
Louisville, KY
Medellín, Colombia
Omaha, NE
Surrey, CA
Toluca, Mexico
Source: http://smartercitieschallenge.org/recipients2012.html
The City of Jacksonville's priorities for downtown are to maximize revenue, increase occupancy, and density. To achieve this goal, the public, private sector, residents, non-profits, and community must work together.
Jacksonville was viewed as a community having several existing assets to build upon. Instead of spending time continuing to create studies, it was suggested that we spend time executing.
Common revitalization strategies recommended for downtown Jacksonville.
IBM Smarter Cities Challenge recommendations for revitalizing downtown Jacksonville.
IBM's consultants believed that downtown Jacksonville's land mass is too large. Instead of attempting to spread out development, the consultants recommended that we develop and build density around downtown's existing assets and development projects.
The consultants highlighted the key role that transparency between all parties plays in the revitalization process.
The Revitalization Journey focused on identifying an implementation strategy to move various study recommendations and development projects forward.
Taking a page out of Metro Jacksonville's book, it was suggested that a series of low cost, easy to implement actions become the initial priority moving forward.
The consultant team also provided advice on how the City or DIA should manage the Revitalization Journey.
With that in mind, the consultant team described the balanced scorecard strategy.
An example of a balanced scorecard strategy for Jacksonville.
Optimization-based Roadmapping approach to facilitate multi-criterion decision making.
Optimization-based Roadmapping approach to facilitate multi-criterion decision making. Input tracking the project scheduling process.
Optimization-based Roadmapping approach to facilitate multi-criterion decision making. Input providing a road map to prioritize various initiatives by a set of uniform criteria deemed critical to the development of a vibrant downtown.
Optimization-based Roadmapping approach to facilitate multi-criterion decision making. Output providing a timeline to project implementation.
A final summary of recommendations by the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge for revitalizing downtown Jacksonville.
BACK UP
Source: City of Jacksonville
NEXT STEPS
The final version of the study is expected to be delivered to Mayor Alvin Brown within four to five weeks. At that stage, it will be up the City of Jacksonville and the newly formed Downtown Investment Authority (DIA) to do exactly what the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge team suggests: Execute!
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Noone
August 28, 2012, 05:06:00 AMNavy Warship Museum-2010-675 One amendment
Northbank Riverwalk Completion- Why was the Historic Promised 680' Downtown Public Pier omitted from a Public FIND grant application process? Scorecard- Investigate variances- OGC
Marketing-Visit Jacksonville or Don't Visit Jacksonville
Parking garages-2012-202
So who wants to kayak and fish under the brand new no new fishing signs that was never before Waterways? Donations to 2009-442 being accepted.
I am Downtown.
John P
August 28, 2012, 08:50:51 AMWill the final presentation get into specifics?
thelakelander
August 28, 2012, 08:58:29 AMWhat type of specifics?
avonjax
August 28, 2012, 09:26:30 AMThe part we always miss. EXECUTE!
thelakelander
August 28, 2012, 09:50:57 AMThat's sort of the entire presentation. It basically lays out a path of how to execute things at an administrative level, in a manner that strives towards a unified long term goal. Nevertheless, one would still have to execute the recommendations stated, bringing us back full circle.
acme54321
August 28, 2012, 10:02:58 AMI don't see how the Parador Parking Garage has much to do with the path to revitalization. As the design stands the best thing that garage will do is nothing.
vicupstate
August 28, 2012, 10:25:54 AMThat might be true if you accept the premise that the original design is a done deal. What was the latest on that? I missed it, if that was posted.
Tacachale
August 28, 2012, 10:31:33 AMI was wondering about the Parador garage, too. It seems like they just listed every potential project downtown, whether on not it's actually good for downtown.
Not to be negative, but much of this presentation seems like more of what we've heard dozens of times before. In fact, swap out some names and this could be nearly any city's presentation.
thelakelander
August 28, 2012, 10:51:05 AMRevitalizing DT isn't rocket science. We just make it more expensive and difficult than it has to be. I didn't expect to see much in depth detail, given the time constraints (three weeks). With that said, I think they just plugged stuff to show how an example strategy would work out.
Captain Zissou
August 28, 2012, 11:31:41 AMI don't think this project was about vision casting, but more about implementation of what is already on the table. They didn't propose anything new, but they prioritised what we already have on our plate and presented ways to best approach it. This is a framework that the Mayor's office can follow long into the future with any new projects that come along. That being said, it is obvious that none of the IBM team was an urban planner or was well versed in urban design. However, they still know a lot more about it than our entire city government.
duvaldude08
August 28, 2012, 11:35:57 AMI think it is also benefical to get an outside opinon. These are things everyone has screamed at the city to do. Now having an outside who agrees, should help. With the Laura stree trio ready to do, this is an opportunity to get things going in the right direction.
acme54321
August 28, 2012, 12:14:47 PMNo word on what's going on with it since the thread here on MJ.
gedo3
August 28, 2012, 12:18:38 PM"Instead of spending time continuing to create studies, it was suggested that we spend time executing." HORRORS! This would mean that a whole bunch of people would lose their "studies" hobby--and actually have to do some real work! Is that even possible? When I moved here in 1980, the then-active Downtown was one of my main reasons. I liked it so much that after a period I realized I was spending so much time there I might as well live there--and did for several years. Now? Well...there IS hope. But I'm not sure people who are newer to Jacksonville could even grasp the idea that Downtown could be a mecca for the whole city. I sure hope it happens--and soon!
tufsu1
August 28, 2012, 03:36:51 PMsure...now that IBM has finished with their study and its "$400,000 worth of free work"!
simms3
August 28, 2012, 03:52:20 PMMy only takeaway:
Of course something MetroJacksonville has been harping on for many years now to deaf ears.
cityimrov
August 28, 2012, 03:53:10 PMSo the point of all this was to? Get a fifth opinion on the stuff already known? Drown out data in the latest trends? Use fancy words like "stakeholder"? As a marketing campaign for Jacksonville?
This IBM presentation (just looking from this powerpoint) says to execute but it never explains HOW and WHAT to execute. It doesn't even explain how to get the people who agree to actually agree on something.
Every single recent administration knows Jacksonville needs to execute. The problem is Jacksonville doesn't know HOW to execute. The administration that executed the most was when Haydon Burns and Robert Moses went nuts with the freeway system.
Why didn't IBM mention any methods on HOW to execute?
John P
August 28, 2012, 04:12:37 PMDesignate responsible parties, suggestions on how to streamline the process, how to advocate for these projects, political and instituitional barriers etc. What they presented is common sense to anyone who has interest in urban planning and a vibrant city. Throwing out ideas has never been the problem. Other people have mentioned how EXECUTING and FOLLOWING THROUGH has been the problem and it does not speak to that at all. Much ado about nothing if you ask me. Hell getting anything through the city under this administration is a lesson in incompetancy.
cityimrov
August 28, 2012, 04:54:58 PMOh, I know how to make this interesting.
Before the IBM team leaves, the mayor should ask them this very important question "If we somehow figure out a way to execute this, will IBM promise to locate a major division here within the next 5 years?"
vicupstate
August 28, 2012, 04:59:57 PMI think the political will has been what is missing. The will to fight for what needs to be done and to persuade others to join the fight, and why it is important.
What IBM gave was a means to select the projects that will achieve the state goals, and a way to measure progress. That HAS been missing, and is much needed. But nothing starts without the powers that be (including the citizenry) putting muscle to the wheel of progress.
Captain Zissou
August 28, 2012, 05:09:53 PMThousands of cities all over the world have managed to redevelop buildings, put up a parking garage, market themselves.... etc. If we're that inept, just have mayor Brown call the mayor of Charlotte and ask for help. Otherwise, we should be able to 'execute' this ourselves. I think IBM assumed that we know how to put up a parking garage when they gave the presentation. In Jax everybody wants the work to be done, but nobody wants to do it themself. I think we have been caught in analysis paralysis for the past 8 years and we just need to try SOMETHING. How was it that Delaney and his crew knew how to get things done, but the past two administrations don't? The man still lives in Jax, call him if you are so confused. It's sad that our city government gets paralyzed with fear when it comes time to act, but far smaller cities manage to get things done by just trying something and then having the courage and tenacity to see it through.
In writing this, I realized this is exactly how I feel about DVI. We pay them a million dollars a year to tell us that somebody needs to fix downtown, and yet they do almost nothing to fix it themselves. Kind of reminds me of Captain Hindsight.
cityimrov
August 28, 2012, 05:29:58 PMFallen Buckeye
August 28, 2012, 06:16:44 PMSo is the point of this study to actually create a comprehensive road map for downtown revitalization or is it more of a look at how the city can improve its planning and prioritization of downtown revitalization projects? Or both?
vicupstate
August 28, 2012, 09:00:07 PMHow was Delaney's crew not elected but Peyton's and Brown's were? Delaney won a narrow vistory the first time and won without opposition the second time. He polled higher than nearly any politician in the history of the state during his term. He wasn't defeated for re-election, he was term-limited?
Huh?
Having the courage to lead, is not what IBM is providing, they are providing the process and the metrics to reach the goal.
Know Growth
August 28, 2012, 09:30:08 PMLove the Power Points,at one time this stuff could hold a designated group transfixed.
Looks like a Genesis Group Beltway promo.........
cityimrov
August 29, 2012, 01:12:25 AMNot Delaney himself but his crew. The most notable one here is Audrey Moran.
I think IBM's end goal, I'll let them speak for themselves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PtiWdS6UZA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuBBGYFonXM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UFneGto4o8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w9w8j1vHB8
Ocklawaha
August 29, 2012, 09:25:01 AM$400,000 dollars and neither IBM nor COJ have a clue about FIXED ROUTE MASS TRANSIT?
Finish the Skyway, (now that its free and actually has soaring ridership).
Downtown and Urban neighborhood streetcar.(This is the project where JTA finished the first required study to determine need, found it to be 'needed' then threw it all out the window.
Plan to get commuter rail up and running. (Supposedly a JTA 'priority' but nobody is explaining why they are paralleling the railroad track AND Skyway with MAX-BRT).
What was it that Momma 'Gump' said?
OCKLAWAHA
dougskiles
September 24, 2012, 08:27:39 AMLooks like IBM has some competition out there. Check out what Cisco is doing in Barcelona.
http://newsroom.cisco.com/feature/1024698/Barcelona-Life-in-a-Connected-City
ben says
September 24, 2012, 08:35:21 AMWeird...Barcelona is one of the last places I think of re: poor quality of life or poor transportation/sustainability. One of the most efficient public transport systems I've ever used...
tufsu1
September 24, 2012, 09:11:01 AMperception is everything....even folks in cities with good transit systems (Chicago, Boston, NYC) have lots of complaints
dougskiles
September 24, 2012, 10:58:45 AMThe point of the article was to show how much they work to maintain that quality of life. For Barcelona, it has always been about staying out in front and looking for ways to innovate.