Summary
The complex challenges local government is tasked with addressing are often the result of national government policy or lack of one. One such challenge is the high cost of living. While working within the Tel-Aviv-Yafo Municipality, the team was tasked with reducing the high cost of living in the city. In this presentation Sarah will share a design process that engaged residents but left leadership behind, how the team overcame this obstacle to eventually engage city leadership and drive implementation of a radically innovative policy (one where local government picks up the slack in the national policy).
Key Insights
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Incremental, visible pilots can overcome resistance to radical policy shifts in complex municipal systems.
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Engaging private educators and parents was pivotal as it revealed their hunger for change and diversified ideas.
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Digitaph, a digital service connecting parents to affordable early childhood programs, registered 76% of children under three within its first year.
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A dedicated municipal staff member embedded within Urban 95 helped build trust and sustain early childhood initiatives.
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Small, cross-departmental collaborations (e.g., toy sheds with parks and community departments) were key to scalable success.
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Physical urban interventions like pop-up play spaces visibly demonstrated quick wins to city leadership.
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The mayor’s vision of a 15-minute city framed neighborhood-focused solutions linking community centers and playgrounds.
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Digital channels like Facebook groups became communal spaces for parents to connect and voice concerns directly to City Hall.
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Local government can incrementally assume responsibilities traditionally held by national government, with political caution and groundwork.
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Creating tangible prototypes and direct stakeholder involvement was more effective than presenting only strategic plans.
Notable Quotes
"We had to create a tangible representation of a future scenario in order to engage stakeholders in our vision."
"Private educators were surprisingly open to collaborating because they were hungry for change."
"Digitaph’s main touchpoint is a Facebook group where parents connect and share, even using it to raise city maintenance issues."
"The general manager agreed to a 25% increase in the Parks and Recreation Department’s budget for early childhood development."
"Small pilots that are low in commitment and highly visible get everyone excited and leave figuring out funding for scaling later."
"The mayor holds a vision of the 15-minute City where most necessities can be reached by walking or cycling."
"Families didn’t know activities existed until digitaph informed and connected them to affordable services."
"We found ourselves shopping around trying to find owners for amazing ideas, but no one was buying."
"In municipalities with few formal collaboration structures, we built ad hoc networks to work effectively across government."
"The biggest challenge remains housing affordability, largely shaped by national policy beyond the city’s control."
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