Building a “Smarter New York City” for All

With a growing call for city administrations to use more technology and data to enable smart cities, we take a step back to explore the real drivers and constraints behind urban innovation in New York and around the world.

Note: This interview has been lightly condensed for clarity. It first appeared on the Columbia Public Policy Review, the Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs academic forum and journal publication featuring student & allied expert contributions to public policy analysis in the United States and the world.

Mia Jamili sat down with accomplished political economist André Corrêa d’Almeida to discuss the case studies and lessons learned featured in his book “Smarter New York City: How City Agencies Innovate”.

André Corrêa d’Almeida is an adjunct associate professor of international and public affairs and assistant director of the MPA in Development Practice program at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs and the Earth Institute. He is also the founder of ARCx‑Applied Research for Change and a former senior advisor to the United Nations Development Program.

What inspired your research in New York City government innovation?

So the inspiration was actually two stories. [The first one] was when I was at a…