https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE Expo
    • Calendar of Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Commentaries


Commentary

How to improve community mobility in a smart city through public-private partnerships

How to improve community mobility in a smart city through public-private partnerships

Derek Fretheim, director of business development at urban mobility company moovel Group, discusses how public-private partnerships can help cities develop their smart city and mobility initiatives.
  • Written by contributor
  • 28th November 2017

By Derek Fretheim

Part of the smart cities movement includes managing how people travel and use the transportation network, as well as how cities collect data from vehicles and group travel patterns for better land use and transportation policy decision making.

The smart cities movement is no small undertaking when you consider the complexity of roadway use, people’s travels and vehicle data. Areas such as Los Angeles or New York could generate billions of data points every single day. So how do cities equip themselves and prepare for managing this huge data set?

One strategy gaining momentum is to work with the private sector through public-private partnerships. A public-private partnership is an initiative where public agencies collaborate with the private sector to deliver a set of solutions and/or services. Cities have traditionally looked at these arrangements solely as helping to facilitate real estate development. In the case of building a new transit hub, a city may own the land, but they may not have the capital to build on it. So they’ve looked to partner with commercial developers to obtain the needed investment for building out the asset. For cities, these partnerships have typically been restricted to real estate joint ventures. 

Today, cities are seeking public-private partnerships as a way to expedite and acquire the needed technology tools and support required to achieve their smart city initiatives. There are key foundational elements cities should adopt within their strategy. Here are some suggestions city leaders should consider:

  • Define the technology framework – create a flexible technology platform that can grow and expand over time.

  • Resist the proprietary software trap – look to use software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions as a way to minimize backing into a corner. SaaS models will be less costly up front and won’t pigeonhole your city into long service and maintenance contracts.

  • Leverage the RFI/RFQ process – Cities have the built in ability to search for solutions via the request for information and request for qualifications process. This mechanism allows cities to gauge providers, technology and teams that are best qualified to meet a city’s needs.

  • Partner selection – Competition is healthy and price isn’t always indicative of the best provider. Avoid low-bid selections because the smartest partner with the best solution isn’t always the lowest bidder.

  • Prepare your community and staff – Create a clear vision, strategy and objectives within your plan and clearly communicate the cost benefit analysis for creating public private partnership.

  • Communicate your status – Be open about the investments being made and the partnerships created. Provide status reports that are easily understood and explain out the benefits. Transparency allows for greater awareness and awareness means better buy in by the community.

Cities who have clear defined smart city plans and strategies and embrace public private partnerships are better positioned to meet the growing community needs. Being proactive and inviting unsolicited offers from the private sector provides the ability to present technology solutions. Without private partnerships, cities may find themselves underfunded to meet their objectives.

 

Derek Fretheim is the director of business development at moovel Group, a Daimler Mobility Services company and the president of technology consulting company Acire. He has worked with government, non-profits and the private sector since 1990. 

 

_____________

To get connected and stay up-to-date with similar content from American City & County:
Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
Watch us on YouTube

Tags: Public Works & Utilities Smart Cities & Technology Commentaries Commentary

Most Recent


  • identity
    How decentralized identity technology can make access to government services more equitable
    Governments debate how much they should spend on public services, as witnessed by the recent debt-ceiling standoff, and by the annual budget process that plays out in every city and county. But everyone can probably agree that access to public services should be simple and equitable. Too often, though, services are difficult to consume. As […]
  • Green energy
    USDA announces $11B in green energy grants for rural utilities
    The ongoing shift to green energy doesn’t just reduce pollution and cost, it also provides job opportunities—an especially welcome boon for rural and post-industrial communities that have been left behind by digitization. But the upfront cost of installing solar arrays and wind turbines is prohibitive for cities and counties that don’t have a large taxbase. […]
  • cybersecurity
    State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program: Where local governments must allocate funds to support the future of cybersecurity
    This past February, the Department of Homeland Security’s State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program began to distribute funds to states with approved cybersecurity plans. For budget and resource strapped state, local and territorial governments (STLGs), these grants enable crucial cybersecurity investments to protect our nation from unprecedented cybersecurity risks and help bridge the gap between […]
  • commuter rail
    Boston's commuter rail system is outdated and needs an overhaul, according to advocacy report
    Boston, Mass. has the second-worst commuter traffic congestion in the nation, according to the analytics firm Inrix. It’s only getting worse, given the region’s outdated and failing commuter rail system, locally known as the T. And while addressing the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s failing transit system is an immediate crisis, it’s also an opportunity to […]

Related Content

  • How local governments can improve bridge projects through strategic engagement
  • NLC releases State of Cities 2021 report
  • North Texas alliance partners with Marketplace.city on smart government solutions
  • Harris County deploys next-generation security in 150 public buildings

WHITE PAPERS


5 reasons why Plan Examiners need Objective Trapeze

30th May 2023

7 Permitting & Licensing Fails Slowing Community Growth

24th May 2023

The Secret Ingredient to Local Government Employee Retention

23rd May 2023
view all

Webinars


How to Centralize and Build a Grants Management Process at your Organization

24th May 2023

Making Permitting Easier: What We’ve Learned Helping America’s Largest Cities Improve Their Permitting Process

16th May 2023

Digital Property Tax Collection: Tales from the Trenches of Modernization

16th May 2023
view all

Podcast


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


10 best suburbs for city-like living

1st June 2023

Gallery: Annual index ranks America’s top performing cities; most are in the West

30th May 2023

Gallery: Top 10 American cities for seasonal and summer jobs

25th May 2023
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

How decentralized identity technology can make access to government services more equitable dlvr.it/SqRHBF

9th June 2023
AmerCityCounty

Survey from U.S. Conference of Mayors details mental health crisis faced by cities dlvr.it/SqQffD

9th June 2023
AmerCityCounty

Federal government launches $11B in green energy grants for rural utilities dlvr.it/SqNFBH

8th June 2023
AmerCityCounty

State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program: Where local governments must allocate funds to support the future of c… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

8th June 2023
AmerCityCounty

Boston’s commuter rail system is outdated and needs an overhaul, according to advocacy report dlvr.it/SqKHmC

7th June 2023
AmerCityCounty

San Antonio-based study highlights effectiveness of urban farms dlvr.it/SqGDbh

6th June 2023
AmerCityCounty

Keeping reusable stuff out of landfills: Organization redistributes office furniture and more to nonprofits, other… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

6th June 2023
AmerCityCounty

Report: Police response to homelessness is inherently punitive dlvr.it/SqCFwh

5th June 2023

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.