AshCast
37 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago -AshCast brings you the latest discussions on democracy, government innovation, and Asia public policy from the halls of the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, a research center and think tank at Harvard Kennedy School
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Episodes
A Hacker’s Mind: How the Powerful Bend Society’s Rules, and How to Bend them Back
March 06, 2023 22:18 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBIn his newest book “A Hacker's Mind: How the Rich and Powerful Bend Society’s Rules, and How to Bend Them Back,” cybersecurity expert and HKS faculty affiliate Bruce Schneier asks readers to expand their simple definition of hacking beyond just computer and IT systems but to consider how nearly everything around us can be hacked — for better or worse. With chapters covering everything from airline frequent flier miles to elections and redistricting, Schneier pushes us to examine how people u...
Reducing Racial Inequality in Crime and Justice
March 02, 2023 16:31 - 1 hour - 82.3 MBThe United States continues to grapple with creating an accurate, national picture of racial inequality in crime and justice. Criminal justice reform requires policies that interrogate and solve for the historical legacy of racial exclusion and structural inequalities. On Tuesday, February 28, the Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project (IARA) at the Ash Center hosted a discussion with Bruce Western, Bryce Professor of Sociology and Social Justice and Director of the Justice Lab...
Data-Smart City Pod: The Highway of the Future is in Georgia
January 05, 2022 12:00 - 19 minutes - 11.1 MBSubscribe to the new Data-Smart City Pod channel to listen to future episodes! In this episode Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Allie Kelly, the Executive Director of transportation and sustainability nonprofit The Ray and Andrew Heath, Deputy Chief Engineer of Georgia's Department of Transportation about their work incorporating emerging technologies along I-85. The highway of the future will be connected and data-rich, and thanks to this partnership the state can employ important env...
Data-Smart City Pod: Trains and the Future of Transit
December 08, 2021 12:00 - 15 minutes - 9.97 MBSubscribe to the new Data-Smart City Pod channel to listen to future episodes! In this episode Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews William J. Flynn, the CEO of Amtrak, about navigating COVID-19, the intersection of trains and climate change, and the future of rail travel. As the CEO of a government-owned corporation and a major infrastructure system, Flynn discusses how Amtrak plans to build back better by engaging a new workforce, increasing digital infrastructure, and improving on "gree...
Data-Smart City Pod: How Baton Rouge Manges Resiliency Through Data with Mayor Sharon Weston Broome
November 30, 2021 10:00 - 14 minutes - 8.51 MBIn this episode Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Sharon Weston Broome, the mayor of Baton Rouge. Mayor Broome talks about leading a data-driven city, prioritizing resident engagement, and how the city relies on GIS data to manage climate resiliency. Tune in to learn about data-driven flood mitigation, What Works Cities certification, and how to build a resilient city. About Data-Smart City Pod New from the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, the Data-Smart City Pod br...
Data-Smart City Pod: How Baton Rouge Manages Resiliency Through Data with Mayor Sharon Weston Broome
November 30, 2021 10:00 - 14 minutes - 8.51 MBIn this episode Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Sharon Weston Broome, the mayor of Baton Rouge. Mayor Broome talks about leading a data-driven city, prioritizing resident engagement, and how the city relies on GIS data to manage climate resiliency. Tune in to learn about data-driven flood mitigation, What Works Cities certification, and how to build a resilient city. About Data-Smart City Pod New from the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, the Data-Smart City Pod br...
Data-Smart City Pod: Economic Growth through the Adjacent Possible
November 17, 2021 14:17 - 16 minutes - 9.5 MBThis episode is a conversation between Professor Steve Goldsmith and Ricardo Hausmann, the Rafik Hariri Professor of the Practice of International Political Economy and director of the Growth Lab, one of the most well-regarded and influential hubs for research on international development. Professor Hausmann discusses the Lab's new Metroverse tool, a powerful yet easy-to-use data visualization of urban economies across the globe. Built for policy makers, economist, communities, and businesse...
Data-Smart City Pod: Open Mobility as a Service
October 27, 2021 11:00 - 15 minutes - 9.65 MBThis episode a conversation between Professor Steve Goldsmith and transit expert Andrew Salzberg. Previously the director of transportation policy at Uber and a fellow at Graduate School of Design at Harvard Kennedy School, Salzberg currently advocates for open mobility as a service in Montreal, Canada at Transit. A twist on the "mobility as a service" idea, Salzberg argues that transportation technology must be interoperable in order for the public to gain the greatest benefits. Tune in t...
Data-Smart City Pod: Building Back Better with Intelligent Infrastructure
October 06, 2021 11:00 - 52 minutes - 32.2 MBThis episode is a lightly edited version of a recent panel discussion about our newest paper, “Toward a Smarter Future: Building Back Better with Intelligent Civil Infrastructure -- Smart Sensors and Self-Monitoring Civil Works." Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews co-authors Betsy Gardner and Jill Jamieson, and subject matter expert Professor Luna Lu, about why developing intelligent infrastructure is crucial for helping the United States tackle the challenge of inequitable, inaccessible, ...
Data-Smart City Pod: Public Safety and Policing in Dallas, TX featuring Mayor Eric Johnson
September 15, 2021 11:00 - 14 minutes - 8.66 MBIn this episode, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson. They discuss the role of the mayor in maintaining public safety, balancing community values, and prioritizing research-based ideas over reactionary polarization. Tune in to hear Professor Goldsmith and Mayor Johnson talk about the positive strides Dallas has made against violent crime, how mayors can implement non-law enforcement safety strategies, and how to implement this type of work in other cities. About ...
Data-Smart City Pod: Leveraging Data and GIS to Correct for Historical, Systemic Racism
August 11, 2021 11:00 - 14 minutes - 7.24 MBIn this episode, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Christen Watts, GIS Manager at the city of Asheville, and Scott Barnwell, the city's Business and Public Technology Manager. They discuss how Asheville is using data and GIS to further racial equity in the city and correct for historical, systemic racism. They also talk about equitable asset management, how equity is everyone's responsibility, and the importance of history in story mapping. Listen below, or wherever you get your podcasts,...
Data-Smart City Pod: Jack Dangermond on Multi-Dimension GIS and Equity
July 21, 2021 11:00 - 24 minutes - 13.3 MBIn this episode, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Jack Dangermond, the founder and president of Esri. They talk about the way cities can utilize multi-dimension GIS, how important mapping is for equity-focused organizations and the interrelatedness of systems and policies. Listen below, or wherever you get your podcasts, to hear Professor Goldsmith and Jack Dangermond discuss the invention of computer map-making, how the pandemic is shaping innovation, and the new geospatial infrastruc...
Data-Smart City Pod: Richard Florida on Data, Cities, and Structure
June 29, 2021 11:00 - 15 minutes - 10.3 MBIn this episode, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews the renowned professor, author, and urbanist Richard Florida. They talk about the interconnectedness of shared labor markets, how to address racially concentrated disadvantage, and the importance of a living wage. Tune in to hear Professors Goldsmith and Florida discuss concentrated advantage and disadvantage, and how cities can use data in a meaningful way to improve the lives of all residents. About Data-Smart City Pod New from the As...
Data-Smart City Pod: Equity Connected - How San Jose is Expanding Broadband Access
June 09, 2021 11:00 - 13 minutes - 7.59 MBIn this episode, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Kip Harkness, the deputy city manager for San Jose, California. Harkness is in charge of the city’s IT and innovation portfolios; despite being in the middle of Silicon Valley, many low-income residents don’t have access to broadband internet. Thanks to efficient digital permits, a partnership with national telecommunications providers, and a dedicated Digital Inclusion Fund, San Jose is connecting residents across the city and providing ...
Power and Organizing in Twenty-First Century America
May 27, 2021 16:17 - 1 hour - 57.1 MBOn Tuesday, May 4, 2021, the Ash Center hosted a book talk of Prisms of the People: Power & Organizing in Twenty-First-Century America with co-authors Elizabeth McKenna and Michelle Oyakawa. Joined by Alejandra Gomez and Tomás Robles of Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), the panel draws upon their collective research and experience to discuss the characteristics of winning and losing campaigns, sharing how movements build power for change as well as where they often go wrong. Tova ...
Data-Smart City Pod: Mayors Address Vaccine Hesitancy
May 25, 2021 15:48 - 37 minutes - 23 MBIn this special episode, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Mayor Ras Baraka as part of an event on addressing vaccine hesitancy. Based in a recent research project of 18 American cities using sentiment mining, Professor Goldsmith interviews the Mayors to understand how they’re using data, policy, and influence to understand the concerns of their residents and ensure the public health and safety of their cities. About Data-Smart City Pod New from the Ash Center ...
Data-Smart City Pod: The State of Digital Government
May 19, 2021 11:00 - 18 minutes - 17 MBIn this episode, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews David Eaves, author and lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. Eaves recently co-authored the 2020 State of Digital Transformation report, and the two discuss the publication, trends in digital governance, cross-sector collaboration, and the importance of government transparency. About Data-Smart City Pod New from the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, the Data-Smart City Pod brings on top innovators ...
China Inside Out
April 28, 2021 19:19 - 1 hour - 55 MBOn Monday, April 26th, the Ash Center hosted the annual S.T. Lee Lecture on Military History, Strategy, and Policymaking titled “China Inside Out: A Conversation with Professor Susan Shirk.” Professor Shirk, who serves as Chair of the 21st Century China Center at the University of California San Diego argued that it is not possible to assess the external dynamics of contemporary China unless one fully understands the internal situation of the country. Tony Saich, Daewoo Professor of Internat...
Data-Smart City Pod: YMCA and Mission-Driven Data
April 28, 2021 11:00 - 16 minutes - 9.72 MBIn this episode, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Maria-Alicia Serrano, Senior Director of Research, Analytics, and Insights at the YMCA of the USA. As an organization operating in over 10,000 neighborhoods across the country, the YMCA relies on geospatial data tools to understand each local community and work with individual Ys to address pressing issues of equity, public health, and mental wellbeing. The Community Insights data tool empowers local Ys with the information they need to p...
Estonia's Digital Transformation and Development of X-Road
April 22, 2021 14:55 - 1 hour - 67.2 MBEstonia's spectacular journey of digital transformation and the development of X-Road by the Nordic Institute of Interoperable Solutions has been a game-changer in the way digital public goods are created and shared. Tune in to hear Ville Sirviö, CEO of the Nordic Institute of Interoperable Solutions (NIIS), and Siim Sikkut, CIO for the Republic of Estonia, join David Eaves, Lecturer at Harvard Kennedy School in discussion for his Friday reflection series. In this conversation, recorded on ...
Voting Rights and Democracy Reform in the States and on the Hill
April 21, 2021 19:55 - 1 hour - 56.5 MBWith Georgia passing legislation to dramatically restrict voting access, and with similar legislation pending in other states, fundamental issues of voting and democracy are now front and center in Congress. A sweeping set of election reforms recently passed the House as H.R. 1 and are now before the Senate. The fate of these efforts, and the future of fundamental Senate procedures such as the legislative filibuster, could be decided in the weeks ahead. On Monday, April 19th, the Ash Center ...
Data-Smart City Pod: Making Dynamic Data Accessible - GIS in Maryland
April 07, 2021 11:30 - 18 minutes - 11.1 MBIn the third episode of Data-Smart City Pod, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Maryland’s Geographic Information Officer Julia Fischer, and Maureen Regan, a deputy director at Maryland's Department of Health. In this podcast, they discuss how a centralized GIS system prepared the state to handle the dynamic and rapidly changing COVID-19 pandemic in order to best protect Marylanders, and how important it is to have a reliable and authoritative source to combat virus misinformation. About...
Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century
March 29, 2021 16:12 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBOn Wednesday, March 24th, the Ash Center and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) hosted a discussion of Our Common Purpose, a report issued by the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship. The Commission, which was launched by AAAS, spent two years engaging with communities all over the U.S. to explore how best to respond to the weaknesses and vulnerabilities in our political and civic life. Speakers included: Danielle Allen, Director of the Safra Center on Ethi...
Jack Ma and the Collapse of the World’s Largest IPO
March 18, 2021 19:53 - 59 minutes - 54.3 MBJack Ma has become the global face of Chinese entrepreneurship and represents the growing influence of private business and capital in China. Yet the decision by Chinese regulators to halt the IPO of his latest venture, the Ant Group, as well as subsequent investigations into the company has raised questions about why Beijing seems to have suddenly tried to exert greater control over the fintech giant. On Thursday, March 18th, the Ash Center hosted a discussion with Wall Street Journal rep...
Data-Smart City Pod: Driving Racial Equity through Data and Mapping
March 17, 2021 12:00 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MBIn the second episode of Data-Smart City Pod, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Elana Needle, the director of the Racial Equity Anchor Collaborative at the Latino civil rights organization UnidosUS. The Anchor Collaborative is a collection of national, multi-racial organizations that advances equity by visualizing, tracking, and sharing data on issues like census responses, voter suppression, and police accountability. The Collaborative is intent on identifying and repairing the racist po...
Citizen Ballot Initiatives: A New Tool for Election Reform
March 08, 2021 17:51 - 1 hour - 70.4 MBThe last several years have seen the growing and successful use of citizen-initiated ballot initiatives to win major election reforms. Some of the most successful, well-funded, and engaging campaigns have had unlikely initiators: small groups of everyday Americans fed up with waiting for someone else to take on an issue and deciding to do it themselves. On Thursday, March 4th, the Ash Center hosted a discussion titled, "Citizen Ballot Initiatives: A New Tool for Election Reform" featuring o...
Political Geographies of the Populist Right
March 01, 2021 17:20 - 1 hour - 55.9 MBSupport for populist right-wing parties and candidates has increased considerably across the globe in recent years. In addition to this overall rise in support, receptiveness towards the exclusionary, reactionary rhetoric and policies of Bolsonaro, Trump, Modi or their European counterparts all have their own distinct electoral geographies. On Tuesday, February 23rd, Ash Center Democracy Postdoctoral Fellow Pauliina Patana and a global panel of experts discussed how to make sense of these ...
Myanmar After the Coup
February 24, 2021 17:00 - 1 hour - 55.2 MBThe February 1st coup launched by Myanmar's military effectively put an end to the country's tentative transition to democracy as civilian political leaders were imprisoned and the results of the 2020 elections annulled. On Friday, February 19th, the Ash Center hosted a discussion titled Myanmar After the Coup. Joining the Center to discuss these recent events in Myanmar and what they portend for the country's future were Pwint Htun, Non-Residential Myanmar Program Fellow at the Ash Center a...
Data-Smart City Pod: Improving Life in Southern California with GIS and Data
February 24, 2021 12:30 - 15 minutes - 9.75 MBIn the first episode of Data-Smart City Pod, Professor Steve Goldsmith talks with Rex Richardson and Darin Chidsey, respectively the president and chief operating officer of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). They discuss SCAG’s regional data platform, one of the most interesting models in the country of using multi-jurisdictional GIS and data to improve quality of life for Southern Californians. About Data-Smart City Pod New from the Ash Center for Democratic Gover...
Election Legislation in the States: Moving Forward or Backward?
February 22, 2021 16:44 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBThe 2020 elections hinged, in dramatic ways, on widely varying state laws and state election procedures. Major changes were made in light of the pandemic, to expand options for mail-in and early voting and to Election Day itself. These changes engendered strong support and strong opposition, and were one reason for the record turnout of 160 million voters. Now, state legislatures are in session all around the country. Will the changes adopted in 2020 be made permanent? Will voting options be...
Can We Break Out of the Two-Party Doom Loop?
February 18, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBThe January 6 Capitol insurrection shows that the United States is facing exceptional challenges to our democracy. Lee Drutman, Senior Fellow in the Political Reform Program at the New America Foundation, thinks that our two-party system is a root cause of that dysfunction. Although we have had a two-party system in name for many decades, there were divisions and overlaps between parties that created room for bargaining, compromise, crossing over, and even unity. In our current state of hype...
Coming Soon - The Data-Smart City Pod
February 17, 2021 19:46 - 1 minute - 861 KBNew from the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, the Data-Smart City Pod brings on top innovators and leading industry, academic, and government officials to discuss data, innovation, and government. This podcast serves as a central resource for cities and individuals interested in the intersection of government and innovations, the adoption of data projects on the local government level, and how to become data smart. Hosted by Stephen Goldsmith, former Deputy Mayor of New Y...
State Capture
March 01, 2020 03:27 - 1 hour - 61.4 MBMost Americans pay little attention to the massive number of elections that occur at the state level every year. Yet cumulatively, a party's success in state-level races across the country can produce major shifts in policymaking and governance. That is precisely what has happened in the US since 2010. In a wave election that year, the Republican Party began their ascendancy in state-level elections, and by 2016 had solidified their dominance. The party now fully controls 25 state legislatur...
Deliberative Democracy and Urban Policy Design in Buenos Aires
February 28, 2020 21:26 - 54 minutes - 50 MBIn recent years, Buenos Aires City Government has set out to become a more inclusive and sustainable city, with a priority of serving the city's most vulnerable populations. The Housing Authority of the City of Buenos Aires has designed an innovative Socio-Urban Integration Plan which makes focus in the process by seeking to involve the relevant actors in the decision making of the slum upgrading intervention. There are many examples in the global experience in slum upgrading. Unlike these ...
Getting Out the Intersectional Vote: What Do Black Women Voters Want?
February 26, 2020 18:01 - 1 hour - 64.1 MBOn Thursday, November 21st, the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, and the Harvard Kennedy School Black Student Union hosted a discussion about the results from the 6th annual "Power of the Sister Vote” survey and how the priorities of Black women voters may shape key dimensions of the 2020 presidential race. Panelists included: Melanie L. Campbell, President & CEO Convener, Black Women’s Roundtable DeJuana Thom...
Political Brands
February 26, 2020 17:20 - 57 minutes - 52.7 MBFrom 'I Like Ike' to MAGA hats, branding and politics have gone hand in hand, selling ideas, ideals and candidates. Political Brands, the new book from Ciara (Chara) Torres-Spelliscy, is a unique exploration of the legal framework for the use of commercial branding and advertising techniques in presidential political campaigns, as well as the impact of politics on commercial brands. On October 30, the Ash Center hosted Spelliscy, a Professor of Law at Stetson University, for a discussion of...
From the Archives: Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project's Truth and Transformation Conference 2019
October 21, 2019 04:00 - 45 minutes - 41.7 MBInstitutional Anti-racism and Accountability (IARA) Project's Erica Licht, HKS MPA Candidate, sat down with Justin Freitas and Addys Castillo from People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond (PISAB) after the 2019 Truth and Transformation conference to talk about PISAB’s innovative approach to structural inequality and anti-racism training. About IARA The Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project, housed at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kenned...