Digital Innovation for Urban Governance

In this seven-week intensive course student teams will draw on the methodology of human-centered service design to integrate the needs of people and the emerging technologies and innovations of smart cities to help address an urban governance challenge facing New York City. In partnership with the urban policy team of Columbia’s smart city lab, teams will conduct primary and secondary research to gain understanding of the needs of NYC residents, explore the work of community organizations and subject matter experts, and gather available data to identify opportunities for urban service delivery innovation. Students will gain experience in identifying and framing urban governance problems from the perspective of residents, and designing service delivery solutions that map the relationships between people, processes, and physical and digital touchpoints. Classes will consist of lectures, workshops, and team presentations.