Top Stories

Algorithms can help government prepare for the future of work. Automation is creating new jobs, and new jobs need new skills, but it’s still not clear which skills. Data analysis and machine learning are producing forecasts to inform government investment in upskilling. (Sarah Doyle, The Brookfield Institute, and Hasan Bakhshi, Nesta)

Join the Apolitical Boot Camp: Engaging Citizens in Policymaking. In the UK, for example, 52% of citizens want to be involved in major policy decisions, but only 7% feel their voices are heard. So how can civil servants interact meaningfully with the public? Join our 7-day boot camp to find out. (Apolitical)

Open government is saving lives with crucial infrastructure. A transparency initiative in Uganda combined traditional community engagement events with digital technologies, in order to eliminate fatalities on one of the country’s most dangerous roads. (Tippi Creed-Waring and Charlotte Broyd, The Infrastructure Transparency Initiative)

Canada’s anti-child abuse web crawler is evolving. Since 2016, Project Arachnid has battled the growing body of child sexual abuse material on the internet by combing the web for illegal images. It’s now scraping it to find patterns in the data — and let authorities arrest abusers more quickly. (Apolitical)

Upcoming

What makes a government service great? Ask the user. The best services are designed with every user in mind. Our crash course will teach you how to build services that deliver better value for citizens with new design tools, collaboration techniques and thinking practices. (Apolitical)

How to innovate in development: 8 principles in 8 days. From using evidence to taking smart risks and learning from failure, you’ll learn the core principles that every modern day development professional should know — and how to use them to boost project outcomes. (Apolitical)

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Technology Frontiers

Dubai is introducing flying taxis to reduce traffic and cut emissions. With drone taxis in the air and self-driving pods running along suspended rails, Dubai hopes to change its ranking as one of the top ten carbon-emitters in the world. But can it get its new developments off the ground? (This Is Place)

US schools are using facial recognition software to stop mass shootings. States across the country are investing in high-tech security cameras that can identify weapons, and even faces, drawn from a “watchlist” of students. But some critics are concerned about privacy and accuracy. (Governing)

This UK city is using real-time data to break down silos. Dealing with multiple disconnected systems can hamper digitisation. That’s why the city of Hull is partnering with a local telecoms provider to instal sensors across the city that collect real-time data into one central system. (ZDNet)

Education and Changing Jobs

California is giving its students a lie-in to boost grades, cut truancy and improve road safety. Following medical recommendations for adolescent sleep patterns, the state has set a legal limit on school start times. Estimates show that a half-past eight start across the country would boost the economy by over $80 billion in a decade. (The Economist)

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Unless we shine a light on the infrastructure project cycle, it is the public who will especially suffer from worse schools, roads and livelihoods." — Tippi Creed-Waring and Charlotte Broyd, Communications Managers at the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative (CoST)

Energy, Environment and Economic opportunity

Meet the Indian activists turning cities into jungles. Locals in Delhi and Bengaluru are working with governments to “rewild” urban areas. From transforming 550 acres of the city into a biodiversity park, to restoring a toxic lake into a rich ecosystem, here’s how they’re doing it. (Quartz)

Evolving Cities

Copenhagen races to become the first carbon neutral city. The city aims to reduce heat and electricity consumption by 20%, use only renewable heating and make 75% of journeys by bike, foot or public transport — all by 2025. And they’re on track, having already cut emissions by 42% since 2005. (The Guardian)

Las Vegas are swapping parking tickets for food donations. Items collected during the one-month program are given to a local organisation designed to support low-income and disabled citizens. (CNN)

And finally

A Swedish engineer got so angry at his driving ticket that he is changing all traffic lights worldwide. After a six year legal battle, he has persuaded the Institute of Transport Engineers to revisit their regulations to make amber lights last longer, allowing for changes in direction and speed. (The Register)

(Picture credit: Unsplash)

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