Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on the 4th that the city will provide $2 million in initial research funding for Pilot City, a program that pairs city officials with researchers at local universities to tackle municipal problems. More than 40 projects were selected.
On Wednesday, the 4th, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced $2 million in initial research funding for Pilot City, a program that pairs city officials with science and engineering researchers at local universities to study pressing municipal issues. The funding will go to more than 40 projects.
At the "PitchFest" event held in May this year, more than 100 city officials presented challenges to over 250 university experts, and 90 of those challenges were matched with researchers. About 40 teams of researchers and city agencies then went on to receive funding. The program is run by Renaissance Philanthropy, with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Robin Hood, the Charles H. Revson Foundation and the Tow Foundation taking part as local funders.
Projects on Transportation, Housing and Safety
The Department of Transportation (DOT) will work with New York University (NYU) to analyze the socioeconomic impact of bus priority projects on communities, and with Columbia University to study wayfinding for people who are blind or have low vision. The Mayor's Public Engagement Unit will partner with the City University of New York (CUNY) to examine resident displacement and building deterioration using tenant hotline, housing court and 311 data. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) will work with NYU to find ways to use historical documents to protect tenants.
The Department of Design and Construction (DDC) will work with Vanderbilt University to use machine learning to cut the subcontractor vetting period from the current 60 to 90 days to about two weeks. Community safety agencies and others will work with Cornell University researchers to build a "New York City Community Resilience Index," while the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) will study battery storage systems and community-based mental health support with Columbia University. The Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) will address youth employment, college enrollment, cash assistance and housing instability.
Attending the announcement were Chief Technology Officer and Office of Technology and Innovation Commissioner Lisa Gelobter, Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn and CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, among others. Inquiries can be directed to the Mayor's Office press office at pressoffice@cityhall.nyc.gov.