Innovation-in-Europes-Cities_Bloomberg-Mayors-Challenge1

York, United KingdomYork believes a lack of involvement and mistrustof local government stems from residents’perceptions that they are not empowered topartake in addressing the issues faced by thecity. GeniUS! Right to Solve proposes to addressthis by enabling citizens to play a pro-activerole in identifying and solving city problems.Procurement would also be opened up, allowingcitizens to co-create solutions. Training wouldfurther increase the potential for citizens toengage with the platform and the government.Austerity measures have significantly reducedthe council’s budget, increasing the challenge offinancing city projects. Apart from facilitating amore direct council-citizen relationship to reversedependency, this scheme aims to speed up andreduce the cost of procurement.Brno, Czech RepublicBrno wants to increase real and perceivedsafety levels in its large-scale housing estates bytransforming their role to promote social cohesionand inclusivity of neighbourhoods across thecity. This bottom-up crime prevention approach isdesigned to train local residents living on at-riskestates, extending community policing initiativesfound elsewhere. Systematically trainingconcierges who are already embedded in localcommunities to more capably respond to andmanage risks sets up the opportunity for this SafeAddress programme to rebrand the community ina way that could result in a decrease in insurancepremiums while increasing the desirability ofthe area. Concierges who are familiar withthe neighbourhood are more likely to properlyinterpret risk, increasing their effectiveness.Five Core ThemesSofia, BulgariaThe city government of Sofia is keen to bringcolour and beauty to the large-scale post-World War II residential blocks that define itspoor quality public spaces. DIY Sofia wouldencourage residents to take ownership of theseefforts by mobilising them to identify need andthen to improve areas. Use of a van equippedwith tools for the community to use to implementcivic beautification projects would be supportedby access to artists and experts. The innovationaims to affect how people relate to their spacesand to each other, reducing urban isolation,increasing communication and trust betweenresidents and the municipality, and improving theurban environment for the community. This wouldbe achieved partly by collaborating with existinglocal initiatives, like neighbourhood associationsand community centres, and by using events toredefine public space.25