Blog

Indonesia is a nation made up of thousands of volcanic islands that lies at the convergence of three major tectonic plates and is estimated to possess 40 percent of the world’s geothermal energy reserves, roughly 27,000 megawatts. This is the largest in the world, but up until 2011, Indonesia was only using 4 to 5 percent of its geothermal potential, according to the World Bank. A new... Read More

In a crowded room at Pittsburgh’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center last October, Bob Gradeck looked out from his podium and asked: “does anyone [here] really know what open data is?” The University of Pittsburgh-based project manager saw only a few hands raised. Most, hesitantly. “There’ll be a quiz later,” he deadpanned, before launching into the first public explanation of the... Read More

As an Ash Center Summer Fellow in the Office of the Mayor in the City and County of Denver, on my morning walks to work I could observe construction cranes hanging overhead while homeless men and women slept on the streets below. During my fellowship, one of my primary responsibilities was to design a strategy framework detailing actions the Mayor’s Office and other relevant agencies... Read More

Since New Orleans began its recovery after Hurricane Katrina, the city has been tackling its problem with blighted properties in a variety of ways. Reducing blight has been one of Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s top priorities since he took office in 2010. The city’s successful BlightSTAT performance management approach has been the backbone of efforts that resulted in the elimination of over 15,... Read More

Good government requires good records. A school, police force, utility, tax collection, army, or agency — none operates without ledgers, spreadsheets of rows and columns. Securing “life and liberty” could be brand language for keeping and enforcing records. Efficient markets require good records, too. A single lightbulb engages hundreds of ledgers: the original glass and raw material... Read More