Before a county planner can write a single word of a staff report, they often spend hours just gathering the basics—old decisions, existing laws, planning documents buried in filing systems. It’s the kind of tedious groundwork that eats up days. In Washoe[...]
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Curio |
Baltimore is innovating its permitting system to revitalize housing
Baltimore’s effort to rebuild its neighborhoods is getting a digital boost. As the city moves forward with an ambitious plan to revitalize 40,000 vacant properties, officials have launched a new automated permitting system to help keep pace. The tool fast-tracks routine approvals[...]
Commentary |
Good news! These ‘positive tipping points’ will help save the world
Earlier this month, scientists announced that humanity has kicked off the first major “tipping point” — in which an Earth system dramatically transforms, often permanently — as warm-water corals die en masse due to relentlessly rising temperatures. Think of such events like[...]
Commentary |
How Mayors Can Reclaim Government Efficiency
In Washington, “efficiency” has become a cynical buzzword — a pretext for cutting, sidelining, and demoralizing public servants. But in America’s cities, a different vision is taking shape. Cara Eckholm argues that mayors have a chance to reclaim the term, using it[...]
Commentary |
American Roads Are Paved With Inefficiency
North and South Carolina share borders, weather, and soil — but not the same highway costs. Repaving a mile of road in South Carolina costs more than twice what it does just across the state line. Yale law and economics professor Zachary[...]
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Curio |
How Global Study Tours Spark Innovation in US Schools
When school budgets tighten, innovation often feels out of reach — but some district leaders are finding fresh ideas by looking abroad. Through international study tours with Digital Promise, educators from Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Colorado are exploring how Finland and Uruguay approach[...]
Curio |
A theory why the internet is going down the toilet
If you’ve ever felt like your favorite app or website keeps getting worse, Cory Doctorow has a word for it — and now, a whole book. “Enshittification” lays out how tech platforms win over users, then businesses, and finally ruin the experience[...]
Curio |
Florida county turns to AI to trim zoning review process
In Florida’s Hernando County, artificial intelligence is doing the paperwork—faster. A new AI system called SwiftGov has helped cut zoning review times for single-family homes from 30 days to just two, saving the county an estimated $1 million. Developed by Swiftbuild.ai, the[...]
Commentary |
Being Wrong Is a Scientific Superpower
Science doesn’t fear being wrong—it depends on it. The latest issue of Scientific American celebrates that spirit, exploring discoveries that challenge what we think we know. From a geochemist’s claim that complex life began hundreds of millions of years earlier than believed,[...]
News |
How Google’s Rapid Innovation Team uses AI to quickly solve governments’ problems
Governments are often criticized for moving too slowly, but a new approach is changing that. Google Public Sector’s Rapid Innovation Team is working with agencies to design custom AI prototypes in weeks, not years — tackling everything from subway safety in New[...]
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The art of asking questions
Kids are natural question-askers — but somewhere between preschool and adulthood, that instinct fades. In the workplace especially, curiosity often gets mistaken for weakness or defiance, leaving leaders reluctant to ask or entertain questions. Author Warren Berger argues the opposite: that good[...]
Commentary |
The Ward County Commission Election Process is Broken. Let’s Fix It!
It’s time to do away with the County Commission primary process completely. Because, what’s the point? What does it accomplish besides making it more expensive to run for office and confusing voters? [...]Read More... from The Ward County Commission Election Process is[...]
Curio |
ND Game & Fish Releases New Outdoor Mobile App
Need a last-minute fishing license? Want to double-check the law while you’re out in the field? North Dakota Game and Fish has developed a mobile to make both and a whole lot more easier. Check out the video below to get the[...]
News |
Minot City Council Agenda, February 21, 2023
Minot’s City Council will meet Tuesday, February 21, at 5:30 in the Council Chambers at City Hall. The following agenda will be considered. Minot City Council meetings are live-streamed through the City’s Youtube Channel found here. The meeting will consider the agenda[...]
Curio |
Architecture Firm plans to revitalize oft-ignored corner of downtown Fargo
What does it take to turn a blighted empty building into a productive space again? In Fargo, an architecture firm is answering the questions with a simple answer — vision. Craftwell Architecture and Construction is a Fargo firm in the process of[...]
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These 4 Communities Are Leading the Way in Making Their Places Stronger
When it comes to places, the Bismarcks, and Minots of the world are more alike than they are different. We struggle in the same ways, we copy each others ideas, and the results we get leave little to get excited about. It’s[...]