Title: Senior adviser and chief strategist
City: Birmingham, Ala.

When Mayor Randall Woodfin ran for office in 2017, the campaign team—led by Ed Fields—was excited to see so many Birmingham residents actively participate in the process. Volunteers and campaign staff knocked on 50,000 doors, and Fields got a first-hand look at how enthusiastic the community was about getting involved in local government. Two years later, he is working to reignite that enthusiasm by bringing campaign-style momentum into City Hall. Now, instead of canvassing to capture votes, he’s sending city staff out into the community to knock doors with the intention of seeing what residents want from their city. It’s part of the mayor’s commitment to keeping the conversation going with the residents who got him into office in the first place. Fields also oversees a community leadership program where a select group of engaged residents meet with each other and public servants to discuss important topics like public safety. And through the city’s involvement in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, Fields and his team are working to ensure city data isn’t used only for government priorities—but that it’s shared in usable ways with residents as well. It’s a unique, comprehensive approach to community engagement that is lowering the barriers for local government participation for residents. “We’re starting to see the same enthusiasm for having a say in how our city functions and serves its community that we saw during the election,” Fields said. “So I’m really excited.”

COLLABORATION: Sick of waiting for broader policy change, one Australian city partnered with cultural institutions, universities, and the private sector to finance a massive windfarm and switch to renewable energy.  (Fast Company)

DATA: How cities are tracking citizen sentiment through social media. (Axios)

INNOVATION: Cities throughout the country—from Anchorage to Muncie, Ind.—are temporarily letting residents pay off their parking tickets by donating to animal shelters or school-supply drives. (Washington Post)

TRANSPORTATION: A new report from Transport for London details the economic benefits of investing in walking and cycling infrastructure. (Forbes)

DESIGN: Taking a “design for all approach” to signage can make cities more accessible. (Arch Daily)