As a serial founder, engaged citizen, community builder, visual artist and storyteller, Kassandra’s passion for entrepreneurship, international relations and ecosystem building spans almost two decades of experience.
Technology
Sub Topics: Technology
Discussing Sustainability for Small and Medium-Sized Districts
UPMOs can achieve operational savings, bring benefit to stakeholders and catch a competitive edge by focusing on sustainability. This session will introduce the business case for sustainability as outlined the IDA Sustainability Top Issues Council’s 2021 report. The heart of the session will focus on strategies that are most relevant to small- to medium-sized UPMOs and how sustainability can benefit their districts.
Advancing Places: Implementing Technology in Place Management
New technology can streamline workflow for organizations and add a plethora of data to better manage urban districts. With a growth in cloud-based systems and visualization tools, leaders are now able to precisely monitor all aspects of operations — from wayfinding asset organization to task management. Learn how to establishing criteria for a successful technology implementation without being overwhelmed by too many digital options.
Project Spotlight: Technology in Your Community
Learn about data driven and predictive urban management and public safety. Working in partnership with global security service provider Securitas SA, the Voortrekker Road CID has built and managed its own centralized control center through which all reporting is processed into a powerful response database. In Downtown DC the BID worked with Cube 84 to integrate the BID’s Salesforce-based database with 311, the District of Columbia’s non-emergency hotline.
Downtown Long Beach’s CRM Journey to Organizational Efficiency (CUBE84 / District 360)
Downtown Long Beach will share insights from their journey of digital transformation. From what to keep in mind when choosing a CRM, through their implementation experience, speakers will share key lessons learned and advice for others considering embarking on a digital transformation.
311 to Salesforce Integration Project
The DowntownDC BID worked with its contractor, Cube84, to integrate the BID’s instance of Salesforce-based database to the District of Columbia’s 311, non-emergency hotline. The BID works to monitor elements of public space such as sidewalks, streetlights, and street signs to help ensure they stay in a state of good repair. The BID reports defects in public space to 311 (referred to as cases) and works directly with the city agencies to ensure repairs are made in a timely manner.
Strengthen Your BID Through Branding
How do you brand something as complex as a city? Two BIDs talk through how their successful rebrands not only modernized and unified their identities, amplified the effectiveness of all of the organization’s endeavors, increased the recognition the BIDs got from stakeholders, and saved time and money – but also accomplished something larger. Rebranding positioned both BIDs to move from identifying their communities as a “place” to representing a “destination” – answering the questions “Why visit here?” “Why live here?” and “Why invest here?” No matter the size of your BID, these branding insights will make your work more effective.
Smart City Frontier
Cities across the world are becoming “smarter,” integrating technologies that communicate via the Internet of Things (IoT). What’s on the horizon? And, what is a district’s role in a burgeoning network of kiosks, cameras, trash compactors, scooters, automated vehicles and more?
Surviving the Retail Apocalypse: Designing Storefronts that Sell
While retail retreat dominates the headlines, examples abound of innovation in storefront design, visual merchandising and unique experience for customers. This panel will demonstrate components of storefronts to help them sell – from doors and windows, to lighting, visual merchandising and more. Innovative approaches to design will be highlighted including activation of vacant storefronts and the public realm around them, and creative approaches to funding projects.
Sponsorships, Marketing and the Controlled Chaos of Events
This session is designed to aid districts in navigating the ins and outs of event sponsorships and marketing. Learn about knowing what types of events best suit your districts, when and what to market, as well as how to capitalize on sponsorship opportunities. Case studies include Pittsburgh’s “Picklesburg,” Wilmington’s hurricane recovery events and Hartford’s multitiered space activation.
My Bad Reputation: Overcoming a Place’s Negative Perception
They say perception is reality, but often negative perceptions about a place obscure positive changes, inhibiting growth and success. Whether the narrative is about high crime rates or inauthentic tourist traps, changing perceptions can require a multi-prong effort. Using case studies from a variety of locations, panelists will discuss how tools such as audience research, re-branding and press strategy can highlight local assets and reshape the narrative.
Making the Case: Market Analysis Scenario Workshop
Today, downtown and urban district professionals need clear and concise data to strategically inform management and investment decisions. This workshop begins with a baseline understanding of the data that can be useful for understanding the local market, including how to retrieve the data and how to supplement the data with local knowledge. Structured as a practicum, participants will then work in small groups to apply the methodologies and analyses to build a comprehensive district profile.
Bonayo Open 311 Project
Bonayo.org is a unique and time-saving web application that Lower Polk Community Benefit District developed in-house. Bonayo works by taking 311 call data directly from the city and routing it to LPCBD’s workers. Bonayo is currently free to use, and users can choose to get receive live notifications via text and/or email. Each text and/or email shows the location of the service call, the service call type, and a photo when available.
DVBIA’s Ambassador Dashboard
The Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (DVBIA) created a bespoke electronic dashboard to monitor and inform the DVBIA’s Clean & Safe team’s operations using collected data. The metrics on the dashboard focused on safety-related actions and observations such as reported theft from autos, open drug use, graffiti, and illegal encampments. The dashboard positively impacted the Clean & Safe team’s operations and accountability while also boosting the team’s morale.
Tony Seba Master Talk
Tony Seba is a lecturer in entrepreneurship disruption, and clean energy at Stanford University, a serial Silicon Valley entrepreneur and a world-renowned thought leader and speaker. He is the author of the #1 best-selling book “Clean Disruption of Energy and Transportation – How Silicon Valley Will Make Oil, Nuclear, Natural Gas, Coal, Electric Utilities and Conventional Cars Obsolete by 2030”.
Anijo Punnen Mathew
Anijo Punnen Mathew is an Associate Professor at IIT Institute of Design (ID). His research looks at evaluating new semantic appropriations of place as enabled by technology and media convergence. During his master talk at the 62nd Annual Conference & Tradeshow in Atlanta, Georgia, Sept. 7-9, 2016, Dan discussed adapting to the information economy through the use of design methodology and theory.
Dan Koh Master Talk
Daniel Arrigg Koh is Chief of Staff to the City of Boston. In this capacity, he advises Mayor Martin J. Walsh on key issues and helps him execute his vision for the city and its 18,000 employees. During his master talk at the 62nd Annual Conference & Tradeshow in Atlanta, Georgia, Sept. 7-9, 2016, Dan discusses the use of data in improving city services, place management and city building.
Curb Appeal: Tools for Prioritizing Curb Uses
Innovative disruption in mobility and economic development have created new demands on curb space in dense urban places. Traditional uses like metered parking and valet stands are often in conflict with new uses like food delivery, rideshare, and dockless mobility services. Learn how to quantify and analyze competing curb uses in existence today and gain tools to advocate for the reallocation of curb space to serve new priorities in your community.
Downtown Skywalk App
The Downtown Des Moines skywalks provide a simple and convenient way to get around no matter the season. The SkyWalkDSM app is a handy way for visitors and locals to navigate downtown through the climate-controlled skywalks. The skywalk itself is nearly four miles long and connects individuals to businesses, restaurants, shopping, events and hotels. The skywalk network system is nearly four miles long and connects individuals to businesses, restaurants, shopping, events and hotels.
Downtowner Free Ride Service
After five years of planning, on October 20, 2016 the Tampa Downtown Partnership launched an innovative micro-transit service to complement the existing downtown mobility options within the 760-acre Special Service District. Made possible through the generous support from both the public and private sector, this mobile app-based, on-demand free ride service, Downtowner, was quickly adopted by Downtown workers, residents, visitors and students.
Redefining Downtown Vibrancy
Technology has dramatically changed how we navigate and interface with cities, how we draft strategies for economic development needs to be updated.
Downtown Mobility – How Technology is Changing the Way our Streets and Cities Function
Emerging transportation technology, new mobility concepts, and smarter infrastructure is helping cities tackle congestion and pollution challenges in new ways. From autonomous vehicles to artificial intelligence, connected service will create opportunities for new mobility options and force our streets to work differently than they ever have before. It is important that cities prepare for these changes to encourage seamless integration with existing public transportation.
Mapping Authenticity: Contemporary Mapping
Maps are the primary way that we orient ourselves to places. But they aren’t neutral: by highlighting some features while obscuring others, they are powerful tools for making meaning. Today, civic data and mobile technologies give us unprecedented control over visualizing place — and new ways for telling authentic, place-based stories.
Become a Local Partner with Google
The mission of Google’s Get Your Business Online program is to help every business be found by every customer looking for them online. Learn how you can partner with Google to help the small businesses you work with in your community, using resources, trainings, gear and one-on-one help from the Google team, all completely free of cost.
Fasten Your Seatbelt: What the Coming Mobility Revolution Means for Your Downtown
Smart mobility technology that promises to make transportation more accessible, inclusive, and equitable could dramatically transform our downtowns. But how? What are the larger implications of the rise of autonomous vehicles? Stantec’s Urban Places smart mobility experts will explore autonomy’s implications for downtown development and get you up to speed on this paradigm shift and how to adapt.