Tulsa among 10 Cities Recognized for Effectively Collaborating with Citizens to Solve Problems
Tulsa is one of 10 cities across the Americas and Europe selected as finalists for the Cities of Service Engaged Cities Award, a new effort to elevate cities that are working creatively to tap the wisdom, talents, and energy of community members to solve public problems.
Underwritten by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the award shines light on the growing number of ways city leaders are co-creating the future with residents, enabling cities around the world to learn from best practices and bring effective strategies back to their own cities.
Tulsa was selected due to the City of Tulsa’s Urban Data Pioneer program created by the Mayor’s Performance Strategy and Innovation Office that engages citizens to tackle problems by using data.
Over 120 community members and City employees throughout the community and the City of Tulsa organization participated in Urban Data Pioneers. The data focus areas include: Connection between blight and violent crime, street prioritization, vacant land and land use efficiency, drivers of per capita income, benchmarking land value, building model of neighborhood stability, mapping spending for schools, traffic crashes and measuring neighborhood walkability.
“We are very proud to be selected as one of the top 10 cities that are using data-driven approaches to engage residents and create positive change for our city,” Mayor G.T. Bynum said. “When we work together, we can help deliver better services, solve public problems, and improve government performance.”
Cities of Service Engaged Cities include: Bologna, Italy; Boston, Massachusetts; Fort Collins, Texas; Hamm, Germany; Helsinki, Finland; Huntington, West Virginia; Mexico City, Mexico; San Jose, California; Santiago de Cali, Columbia; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
City leaders in the 10 finalist cities engaged citizens as partners to address serious issues by harnessing the power of civic tech, citizen experts, informed citizen input, participatory design, impact volunteering, and citizen-sourced data. Finalist cities found new ways to tackle old problems and provide services more efficiently to meet citizen needs.
“The finalists show that everyday citizens can help move their cities forward in many diverse and meaningful ways, leveraging their insights, diverse talents, and creative energy,” said Myung J. Lee, Cities of Service Executive Director. “City leaders are getting more creative and experimental in the ways they are engaging community members. We are proud to highlight the work these cities have accomplished so other cities around the world can follow their lead.”
The Engaged Cities Award was open to cities with populations of 30,000+ in the Americas and Europe. In its inaugural year, the Engaged Cities Award received more than 100 applications. Cities of Service, along with an esteemed group of experts, will choose three winning cities, including a $100,000 grand prize winner. Winners will be announced as part of the Engaged Cities Summit and Award Dinner in May 2018.
For more information about the Cities of Service Engaged Cities Award, please visit: https://engagedcitiesaward.org
About Cities of Service
Cities of Service is an independent nonprofit organization that helps mayors and city leaders tap the knowledge, creativity, and service of citizens to solve public problems and create vibrant cities. We work with cities to build city-led, citizen-powered initiatives that target specific needs, achieve long-term and measurable outcomes, improve the quality of life for residents, and build stronger cities. Founded in 2009 by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Cities of Service supports a coalition of more than 235 cities, representing nearly 55 million people in 45 U.S. states, and more than 10 million people in the U.K. For more information, visit citiesofservice.org and follow Cities of Service on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @citiesofservice.
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