The MetroLab Network has formed a Local Government Research and Development Agenda program to identify research areas, working with 20 cities across the country to identify some of the most pressing research areas they face.
“If we want to make positive, lasting progress on the most pressing challenges facing our cities — from gun violence and homelessness to transportation and traffic safety — we must be able to access and understand cutting-edge research and innovation,” said Quinton Lucas, mayor of Kansas City, Mo., in a statement on Medium.
Kansas City collaborated with MetroLab to host the inaugural Local Government R&D Workshop, which convened local academics, community leaders, city officials and others to understand the city’s research needs, but also build relationships for future partnering.
“This is an ambitious program that will identify the research needs of cities and counties across the country,” Kate Burns, MetroLab Network’s executive director, said in a statement. “By outright asking what research is needed to solve complex problems, a local government R&D agenda can better point our research institutions in a direction that will create actionable and impactful outcomes.”
In the coming months, MetroLab will hold similar workshops in other communities, then explore funding sources and other forms of support for the Agenda. The idea is to create “actionable research” that helps to advance policy goals in cities, forming the groundwork for research institutions and cities to work together.
“When we closely collaborate with the community, we’re able to align UMKC’s advanced innovation capabilities with the city’s needs, ensuring that the solutions we generate have a direct, positive impact on the quality of lives of our residents,” C. Mauli Agrawal, chancellor for the University of Missouri, Kansas City, said in a statement. “It’s important to note that our university’s community partnerships are not just about advancing academic inquiry — they are about building a stronger, more resilient Kansas City.”
