'Positive deviance' and the power of outliers
Groundbreaking solutions in cities are often the result of visionary mayoral leadership. But sometimes certain communities achieve significantly better outcomes than their similarly resourced neighbors—and the underlying reasons may not be immediately obvious to local leaders.
Resources for City Innovators
This pilot project is shaking things up at public meetings
The traditional public meeting—with a classic three-minute-per-speaker format—has been criticized in government innovation circles for years. It allows the squeakiest wheels to dominate. New voices rarely emerge. The feedback comes after key program design decisions have been made. Nonetheless, it persists in cities worldwide. This story focuses on a promising new intervention that's helping cities break the mold.
