CEOs For Cities has launched an interesting project – the US Initiative (“us” as in people, and “US” as in United States). Whilst CEOs for Cities is purely focused on the United States, the organisation’s goals, model, and projects could easily be tailored for New Zealand.
Following is content from their website describing the US Initiative.
About the US Initiative
Seventy years ago GM’s Futurama generated a compelling vision for suburbs that spawned a movement and a new American ideal of a spacious, car-centered good life. That ideal dominated public policy for 50 years. We now know that paradigm has served to reduce access to opportunity, exacerbate climate change and produce unintended negative consequences on our quality of life. It is simply not sustainable – economically, environmentally or socially.
CEOs for Cities is launching the US Initiative now for one reason: We continue to build too many of our communities – physically, economically, and socially – on an outdated set of beliefs. This is expensive, wasteful and puts us way over due for a new version of the American dream.
The purpose of the US Initiative is to bring into very clear focus how communities can deliver on five big (very big) ambitions that, together, can define a new American dream.
Those ambitions are:
- Opportunity: We will develop all of our talent and put all of our talent to work.
- Liveability: We will all have access to beauty and nature every day.
- Connectivity: We can meet our daily needs without owning a car.
- Community: We can all participate in a robust public life.
- Optimism: We believe that the future can be better for each of us and all of us.
Applying it in New Zealand
What if we copied the CEO for Cities model and applied it to New Zealand? Created a network and raised support across cities and sectors – including civic, academic, and industry leaders?
How about the creation of a “city” platform based on principals like those encapsulated above – but also around open source, data, and protocols – and with citizens squarely in focus? Development of best practice, shared knowledge, and platforms could radically change how we run our cities – and stave off potentially ill-fated “super” city plans.
Bookmark this site and check back as we try some of those scenarios …
