In the news

A quick look at news stories this week featuring Bloomberg Cities’ programs and partners.

Mayor Stephanie Miner of Syracuse, N.Y., is all about finding creative ways to tackle challenges in her city, especially the poor underground infrastructure that is costing the city $1 million a year for repairs and replacement. With a new data approach supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Innovation Teams program, the city has developed a predictive system that can identify water-main failures before they happen, saving the city $430,000 annually. (Politico)

The city of Long Beach has invested in several technology initiatives that will make city processes more available and will assist businesses with venture planning. (Long Beach Business Journal)

Birmingham, Ala., has become the first Alabama city legally requiring its agencies to make its data available. A new Open Data Government Team will be in charge of selecting data sets that will be open to the public via a new OpenGov data portal, launching summer. (StateScoop)

Looking for new models for community engagement? Here are three different ones, including the What Works Cities program, that integrate citizens into public policymaking. (SSIR)

Boston joins Cities of Service’s Love Your Block program, coinciding with the city’s launch of its first annual Civic Engagement week. (Boston.gov)