Weekly Briefing: Next generation innovation and tips for smarter cities

Mindlab 2.0: Denmark establishes its next-generation innovation lab. Kåre Riis Nielsen, head of the new Disruption Taskforce, tells Apolitical how the team will challenge outdated systems, regulate big tech and replace bureaucracy with a culture of risk-taking.
(Apolitical)

Spotlight: How to build strong public service leadership in Africa. In our latest series, we examine the opportunities and challenges in building civil service capacity across the continent, bringing together views from disruptive changemakers as well as established leaders.
(Apolitical)

Other sectors have famous prizes, from the Nobel to the Pulitzer — why doesn’t government? With a new award, Brazil wants to celebrate the unsung heroes of public service, create a culture of recognition in government and challenge citizens’ lack of trust in civil servants.
(Eloy Oliveira, Instituto Republica)

Smart city approaches must get smarter — here are five ways to do it. Efforts to use technology to improve public services often fail for the same reasons. From cutting reliance on consultants to becoming a better negotiator, here’s how to ensure your project succeeds.
Marni Wilhite And Ben Guhin, The City Of Austin

Estonia’s e-ID system saves the country 2% of GDP per year. The identification system helps governments deliver and develop online services, and has dramatically increased citizen engagement: Estonia has one of the highest rates of tax payments in the world.
Joel Burke, The Republic of Estonia

Governance and Citizen Engagement

Luxembourg will become the first country to make public transport free — and that’s not all. It also announced plans to boost the country’s monthly minimum wage by $114, give all employees two more days off a year and legalise recreational marijuana by 2023.
(Citylab)

Energy, Environment and Economic Opportunity

British Colombia’s groundbreaking carbon tax is a model for tackling climate change. The decade-old tax is levied on any use of fossil fuels for heating, electricity and transport, and redistributed to citizens in the form of tax cuts. Today, 88 nations use or plan to use carbon pricing.
(The Guardian)

Health and Ageing

The UK will offer mental health treatment to new fathers. It’s well-known that new mothers may suffer from loneliness, anxiety, psychosis or postnatal depression, but fathers often suffer in silence, the national health service warns. Therapy, peer support and parenting groups can help.
(The Times)

Nepal has reduced maternal mortality by paying for two million expectant mothers to deliver in hospital. The government covers transport and postnatal care costs for families in rural areas, which has increased the number of women who come to the hospital for regular check-ups.
(BBC)

Safety and Justice

Sacramento, California is paying young gang members up to $1,000 a month to stay out of trouble. The Advance Peace program assigns vulnerable young men a mentor, who helps them access social services, find a job, identify life goals and deal with conflict.
(Washington Post)

Evolving Cities

Singapore will trial on-demand buses to curb congestion in its gridlocked city centre. Commuters will soon be able to request pick-ups and drop-offs via an app. It's a solution that could help other cities struggling to ease traffic and pollution.
(This Is Place)

And finally

The Illinois Statehouse has erected a shrine to Satan. A four-foot Satanic statue sits between a Christmas tree and menorah in a series of holiday displays. The state said the Temple of Satan has the same right as other groups to display religious symbols.
(BBC)