Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Innovation Conference topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Councilmembers report ideas from Mayor’s Innovation Project conference on transportation, housing and engagement
Summary
Attendees of the Mayor’s Innovation Project conference shared takeaways including data-driven traffic-calming prioritization, tactical urbanism pilots for temporary fixes, project branding to show plan implementation, housing as market failure in some niches, and engagement tactics like welcome bags and 'council on the road.'
Council members who attended a recent Mayor’s Innovation Project conference reported several takeaways they believe could inform Middleton policy.
Mayor Henayro and other attendees highlighted a model from Salem, Mass., that prioritizes traffic-calming investments by road segment using crash, condition and land-use data rather than relying solely on resident petitions. Members also described tactical urbanism—temporary installations to test changes before making them permanent—and the potential to brand projects (for example, park or conservancy projects) as implementation of adopted city plans.
On housing, attendees emphasized directing city resources toward housing outcomes the market is not producing, including low-income senior housing. Engagement ideas included welcome bags for new utility customers and taking council meetings 'on the road' to boost local attendance. Members encouraged colleagues and residents to attend community events tied to these efforts.
