Thanks to data-driven innovations funded with a $4.2 million grant in 2011 from the Bloomberg Philanthropies, New Orleans dropped its murder rate by 20 percent between 2012 and 2013.
In the last two decades, New Orleans has ranked as a murder-capital of America for cities over 250,000 people. As reported by Jessica Leber from Co.Exist, to change this, New Orleans was one of five cities invested in by Bloomberg Philanthropies in 2011. With $4.2 million to create an Innovation Delivery Team, the city was mandated to find new methods of addressing violence and murder.
The Innovation Delivery Team in New Orleans referred to experts and outsiders to understand the issues and discuss potential solutions. According to Leber, New Orleans "studied strategies used in other cities like Memphis, Chicago, and New York. It flew in people like a University of Cincinnati professor who helped the police audit the data and attribute every gang-related murder to a specific group. It held focus groups with young men who were at-risk for violence, asking them what they thought. In the end, the team had a laundry list of 130 different programs and initiative that it could consider."
With these efforts, the group formed NOLA for Life, creating a multi-agency gang unit responsible for prosecution of crime, programs for released prisoners to gain employment and prevent re-entry into crime, and increasing economic opportunities for African American males.
These strategies have seen marked results, as murders in 2013 dropped to 155 people, the lowest in New Orleans since 1985. While a task force of data analysis for a city is not revolutionary, the "structured approach, the level of coordination across city government and even outside of it, and the mandate of the mayor to know that ideas will be heard and implemented" is truly what made this project a success.
FULL STORY: How America’s Murder Capital Is Using Innovation Strategy To Reduce Violent Deaths
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Downtown Los Angeles on the Rise: A Promising 2025
Fueled by new developments, cultural investments, and a growing dining scene, downtown Los Angeles is poised for significant growth in 2025, despite challenges from recent wildfires and economic uncertainties.
Report: Transportation Equity Requires More Than Electrification
Lower-income households often lack the resources to buy electric cars, signaling a need for a more holistic approach to improving mobility and lowering transportation costs.
Supporting Indigenous Land Reclamation Through Design
Harvard students collaborated with the Sac and Fox Nation to develop strategies for reclaiming and co-managing ancestral lands in Illinois, supporting Indigenous sovereignty through design, cultural storytelling, and economic planning.
A Plan to Expand Tree Canopy Across Dayton
Dayton is developing an urban forest master plan, using a $2 million grant to expand its tree canopy, address decades of tree loss, and enhance environmental equity across the city.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research