The
Creative Bureaucracy
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The pandemic has put a spotlight on the need for effective digital services at every level of government. From shifting critical services like housing and employment online, to mobilizing new supports for vulnerable groups and businesses, cities across Europe are under pressure to deliver digital innovation at speed: Has the…

Around the world cities have been experimenting with innovative governance instruments to support a better cooperation between governments and active citizens in addressing urban challenges collaboratively. From support mechanisms for civic initiatives, to participatory budgeting and direct democracy, European cities have been on the forefront of promoting co-creation between a…

Every city is unique. Yet cities across the globe face similar challenges. Connecting cities to learn from each other and work together is a key element in helping cities transform themselves – and become more resilient, intelligent, sustainable, and equitable. In this session we’ll hear from the leaders of a…

True smart cities think of intelligence not just in terms of technology. Technology’s potential for cities to improve the lives of citizens is tremendous. But how does one build smart infrastructure on top of that which is already there? How does one innovate responsibly? And what are the limits to…

All over the world and across all sectors, organizations, cities, and countries run by women are thriving. We’re bringing together a remarkable panel of female leaders from all corners of the world to discuss what they bring to the table that men traditionally haven’t – and whether the age of…

How can government transform itself while in crisis mode? How do urban resilience and public innovation interrelate? Never have these questions felt more relevant than in our current global battles against COVID-19. In this digital roundtable and workshop, we’re hearing from practitioners whose very task it is to build urban…

16 cities across South Korea have already joined the international cittaslow movement. In cittaslow cities, citizens and government are working together to preserve and protect nature and the environment and take a step back from globalisation. Bon Sohn gives an overview of this growing movement.

In this session, we will explore the long term consequences of this crisis for cities, places and citizens. We will analyse the potential of this crisis to create systemic change, and avoid returning to business as usual, and the role of placemaking and public space to shape a post-covid world…

Disruption is associated with innovative processes that challenge norms of how we live, work and play. 2020 has been the first collective global experience affecting all 8 billion people on the planet. How do advocates for the Creative City adapt to these new conditions? What are the new priorities and…

Panthea Lee is the lead for strategy and partnerships at the New York-based social impact organization Reboot. She has designed and facilitated multi-stakeholder processes in dozens of countries across the world. In this interview, she talks about what true co-creation requires and about centring the voices of marginalized and oppressed…

How can we reinvigorate local bureaucracies and urban policies by placing built environment professionals within forward-thinking local authorities? Public Practice is an innovative UK-based social enterprise that is having a dramatic impact on the talent pipeline of public sector planning departments. Their highly popular programme matches local councils in London…

Around the world, citizens are increasingly disillusioned with government. Many see public institutions as increasingly disconnected from and/or unresponsive to their needs. And many are increasingly discontent with traditional channels of state-defined “civic engagement” to raise and respond to their frustrations. So they are taking matters into their own hands.…

Around the world cities have been experimenting with innovative governance instruments to support a better cooperation between governments and active citizens in addressing urban challenges collaboratively. From support mechanisms for civic initiatives, to participatory budgeting and direct democracy, European cities have been on the forefront of promoting co-creation between a…

True smart cities think of intelligence not just in terms of technology. Technology’s potential for cities to improve the lives of citizens is tremendous. But how does one build smart infrastructure on top of that which is already there? How does one innovate responsibly? And what are the limits to…

Tonya Surman has set up 11 NGOs and initiatives and runs the Toronto-based Centre for Social Innovation. In this interview, she talks about the connection between her artistic education and her work in social innovation, the power of allyship, and why she says that her clients are “people and the…

Night life is an integral part of the 24-hour city. But when the pandemic hit, it was brought to a halt almost everywhere. How do we facilitate its recovery? And what can we learn from the global night mayor movement in this quest? We hear from Mirik Milan, the former…

Pekka Sauri, was called Helsinki’s ‘Twitter Mayor’ and used it to run his office through Twitter when it had hardly been invented. He interacted with his 1000s of followers in order to shortcut decision making. Fredrik Lindstal, Stockholm’s former deputy mayor for labour is an entrepreneur turned politician and is…

What are the barriers to creative freedom in Southeast Asia? Do the social, political, economic or cultural landscapes contribute to factors that deter creativity such as conformism, dogma and peer-pressure, unconscious bias, or selective perception? What results from these barriers and what can be done to overcome them? Charles Landry…

Doris Sommer and Pier Luigi Sacco explore whether government can be playful and serious at the same time and what unconventional approaches can help the public sector effect change. A deep-dive into non-traditional governance approaches, using examples such as Atanus Mockus from Latin America.

In this audience-interactive and lively session with experts from South Africa, the UK, the US, Germany, and Brasil we’ll debate the question of how to bridge the gap between politics and policy. Questions and topics we’ll explore include: Do political campaigns confuse or bring clarity to the policy process? What…

Professor Toshkov has been studying bureaucracy, teaching about bureaucracy and doing research on bureaucracy for almost 20 years. He has been on the lookout for references to bureaucracy and bureaucrats in the arts and in pop culture – yet found little. Why is that the case? And is bureaucracy really…

Around the world, citizens are increasingly disillusioned with government. Many see public institutions as increasingly disconnected from and/or unresponsive to their needs. And many are increasingly discontent with traditional channels of state-defined “civic engagement” to raise and respond to their frustrations. So they are taking matters into their own hands.…

The pandemic has put a spotlight on the need for effective digital services at every level of government. From shifting critical services like housing and employment online, to mobilizing new supports for vulnerable groups and businesses, cities across Europe are under pressure to deliver digital innovation at speed: Has the…

How can we reinvigorate local bureaucracies and urban policies by placing built environment professionals within forward-thinking local authorities? Public Practice is an innovative UK-based social enterprise that is having a dramatic impact on the talent pipeline of public sector planning departments. Their highly popular programme matches local councils in London…

Understanding the bigger picture is vital to keeping your destination in sight, so why are so few public servants taught about the meta-structures they’re operating within? Drawing on his 20+ years of experience as a public servant and inspired by Frederic Laloux’s ground-breaking management book on next-stage organizations ‘Reinventing Organizations‘,…

Soft power is the ability to impact behaviour through influence, persuasion and agenda-setting. Countries tend to build walls while cities build bridges, especially in our current period of mass migration. Cities are banding together to exercise their collective soft power: to provide sanctuary to migrants and the poor, to fight…

From student and labour activist to the heart of government and helping there to get things complex things done. Rudi helped organize the South African Jobs Summit, he ushered the grant systems through the public administration in the Covid crisis, he brought the private sector partners together to strengthen broadband…