A New City O/S: The Power of Open, Collaborative, and Distributed Governance (Brookings / Ash Center Series, "Innovative Governance in the 21st Century")

“This is a strong perspective on local government for future operations and should be widely read. Highly Recommended.”
—CHOICE

“For practitioners, the book would be very valuable to senior managers in a wide range of state and local agencies seeking to streamline their administration; increase transparency; and use existing and widely used technology such as smartphones to better engage citizens, communities, contractors, and other stakeholders to create more effective governance for their municipality.”
—William B. Eimicke, Public Administration Review

“Goldsmith and Kleiman illuminate an effort critical to the future of our country: a major reframing of public sector operations to make them work for, and with, the American public. The case studies they chronicle here, the lessons they derive, and their guidance for the future will help any change agent get us to the new operating system our local governments so desperately need.”
—Jennifer Pahlka, Founder and Executive Director, Code for America

“Few can make a better case for how data and transparency can make government work better for the people who need it most. The authors present a bold rethinking of how government should and can work in the digital era to promote more equitable, vibrant, and resilient communities. Drawing from lessons of America’s most innovative cities—including New Orleans—they offer invaluable advice and case studies for anyone interested in addressing our most vexing urban challenges.”
—Mitch Landrieu, Mayor, New Orleans

“This great new book isn’t just a plan for a new nuts-and-bolts operating system for cities—it’s a genuinely fresh and innovative way of thinking about governance. Goldsmith and Kleiman develop a theory of “distributed governance” to map how power can be shared—and a strategy for making it work. Anyone interested in making cities work better—and that includes all of us—needs to wrestle with the meaty and lively story they tell.”
—Donald F. Kettl, Professor of Public Policy, University of Maryland

“Our democracy is only as strong as the trust we place in the institutions that work for us—and technology offers a digital path to new levels of transparency and accountability in government. A New City O/S is a blueprint for helping cities take advantage of innovative tools that can improve service delivery, bring new people into the conversation, and engage everyday residents in the work of building stronger and more inclusive communities.”
—Eric Garcetti, Mayor, Los Angeles

Stephen Goldsmith is the Daniel Paul Professor of the Practice of Government and the Director of the Innovations in American Government Program at Harvard Kennedy School. He previously served as deputy mayor of New York and mayor of Indianapolis, where he earned a reputation as one of the country's leaders in public-private partnerships, competition, and privatization. His most recent book is The Responsive City: Engaging Communities through Data-Smart Governance.

Neil Kleiman is a clinical professor at New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service and the Center for Urban Science + Progress. His research focuses on urban innovation and uses of technology and big data. He is policy director of the National Resource Network, a public/private consortium supporting economically challenged cities, and was founding director of the New York City–based Center for an Urban Future.