Jump to section
Procurement & Processes
Typical public procurement processes may not meet the needs of a rapidly-evolving landscape.
Photo by Giammarco Boscaro on Unsplash
New technologies present opportunities, but the processes that cities have traditionally used to bring these opportunities to communities are often not compatible with the speed and complexity of the new technologies around us. Creating new and modified processes that expedited procurement while still meeting city and community goals are ways of bridging this gap.
Issues & approaches
Pilots: Pilots allow cities the opportunity to test new approaches before implementing larger changes to standing policies or procedures. This avoids an often costly and time-consuming process of regulatory change until the value of the proposed change is better understood. It also gives cities the opportunity to better shape and understand the rules they might use to govern a new approach while letting them test and develop relationships with private sector partners. Analyzing the data and outcomes of pilots gives cities evidence-based means for creating or adjusting the final roll out of new technologies to help ensure that the final policies best meet the needs of the city and its communities.
Adaptable Procurement Processes: The speed and inflexibility of typical public procurement processes are barriers when it comes to creating timely and effective policies in a rapidly-evolving landscape. Establishing alternative paths for procurement that allow private sector partners to suggest unsolicited proposals brings these partners into the process earlier. This allows contracts to be organized around desired outcomes, as opposed to prescriptive rules and procedures, and can help cities be more nimble and better face the challenges before them.
Examples/case studies
Office of Extraordinary Innovation
Los Angeles Office of Extraordinary Innovation
View LA Metro
LA Metro’s Office of Extraordinary Innovation (EOI) evaluates and implements new approaches for transportation, including new mobility services and providers and an Unsolicited Proposal program.
Adaptable Processes - Unsolicited Proposal Program
Austin Unsolicited Proposal Program
View Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Austin, TX)
Capitol Metro’s Unsolicited Proposal Program creates a path for proposing innovative ideas outside the agency’s traditional solicitation process.
Pilots - Case Studies and Examples
Index of Pilot Projects
View Urbanism Next
Urbanism Next has compiled and cataloged a broad selection of various new mobility Pilot Projects from across the US and the world. Visit the Pilots page in the Resources section of The NEXUS to browse these examples.
Related topics
Micromobility
Bikeshare bikes and e-scooters are becoming new fixtures of transportation. How will micromobility interact with other transportation forms?
Street Design
As new transportation modes emerge and demands for street space increase, how can the needs of all modes be met?
Micromobility Policy
The rapid pace of development and deployment of micromobility modes and the technologies behind them necessitate new policy and regulatory considerations.
See something that should be here that isn't? Have a suggestion to make?