Title
Phoenix Office of Innovation Update
Description
This report provides the Economic Development and Housing Subcommittee with an update on the Office of Innovation.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
The Office of Innovation is the central hub for innovation and the strategic use of data and performance management across the City. The Office partners with departments, residents, universities, technology companies, and local and national organizations to pilot and evaluate solutions to address City priorities, and leads and advances citywide and regional data and performance dashboards and initiatives.
Innovation and Pilot Projects
On May 15, the City hosted its fifth InnovatePHX Challenge at Venture Cafe Phoenix with six teams developing Smart City solutions in the areas of accessibility, active transportation, and public spaces. More than 150 participated throughout the all-day event. Since 2023, more than 750 residents, universities, tech companies, and students have participated, developing solutions to City challenges, including affordable housing, air quality, extreme heat and more. Ideas have been piloted, evaluated and implemented in partnership with City departments.
The Chilled Drinking Water initiative is an example of a successful outcome, with five units operating in Downtown and West Phoenix. The equivalent of more than 130,000 average-size water bottles has been delivered to residents and visitors at locations near City Hall and the Council Chambers, along the Phoenix Sonoran Bikeway, and in parks near where people walk, bike, and use public transportation. Five additional units are in various stages of implementation. This initiative was honored with a 2025 International Data Corporation Smart Cities North America Award.
Innovation is testing new technologies including a low-cost, remote water-monitoring and leak-detection system and an augmented reality platform that offers residents an opportunity to see and experience future development projects before they are built, with the click of a smart phone.
Innovation serves on the executive committee of The Connective Phoenix, a consortium of cities and towns advancing the Valley as a "Smart Region," in partnership with Arizona State University, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Maricopa Association of Governments, Arizona Commerce Authority, among others. On March 27, Phoenix partnered in Connected 2025, a Valley-wide smart city event that featured the City Manager's Performance Dashboard 2.0 enhancement, the Street Transportation Department's Automated Roadway Analyzer and the Phoenix Convention Center's customer-friendly ParkPHX tool.
Data and Performance
The Office leads citywide data and performance initiatives, including the What Works Cities initiative, with Phoenix one of three cities in the world to have achieved Platinum-level certification for well-managed, data-informed governance. This initiative has included no-cost technical support in the areas of alternative emergency response, procurement modernization, data quality and management, among others.
The City Manager's Performance Dashboard 2.0 recently launched with more than 160 key performance indicators across City departments. An enhancement to the Environmental, Social and Governance Dashboard is in process. This dashboard was developed in partnership with the Finance Department to support the bond-rating agency revue process. The Office serves as the City lead for the Valley Benchmark Communities initiative, a group of Arizona cities and towns working to improve local government performance, in partnership with Arizona State University. The 2023-24 Trend Report was published earlier this year.
Innovation manages Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg Associates (BA) opportunities across the City. The BA contract was extended to 2028, providing pro-bono consulting services to City departments. Since 2022, BA has devoted more than 17,000 hours across more than two dozen projects.
In 2025, Innovation launched a partnership with Arizona State University's College of Public Affairs to leverage graduate students for data analytics, evaluations and strategy to support City departments in the advancement of goals and priorities. The first project supported the City's affordable housing team.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager John Chan and the Office of Innovation.