Fresh leadership for Boston’s New Urban Mechanics office

The Mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, has named Shin-pei Tsay and Marcy Ostberg as director and deputy director of the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics (MONUM) to co-create solutions with more groups outside of government.

Since 2010, the office has worked across departments and communities to explore, experiment, and evaluate new approaches to government and civic life.

“So many challenges today are far too complex for a single sector to solve on its own, no matter how innovative or well-resourced it is,” Tsay told Cities Today. “I see a lot of potential… to fulfil Mayor Wu’s vision of bringing City Hall out of City Hall.”

Tsay and Ostberg bring experience in urban planning and city government, including in areas of sustainability, public transit, housing, and education.

“MONUM has established itself as a leader in civic innovation,” Ostberg told Cities Today. “Having been part of this team before, I know first-hand the incredible impact the work they take on can have to meet the needs of residents. I’m excited about scaling this model by building that kind of capacity with other city agencies to unpack complicated problems and design human-centred services that best meet constituent needs and realities.”

MONUM has been instrumental in seeding experiments that have become critical public services, such as Boston’s 311 app; truck side guards, which have spread to over a dozen cities in the US; Boston Saves, which is now available to all Boston Public School students to help them save for college; and zoning changes to allow homeowners to add Additional Dwelling Units (ADUs).

“Mayor Wu is demonstrating a different kind of leadership that is much needed right now, and when one city succeeds, many others are able to follow,” said Tsay.

Ostberg added that Boston, like many other cities, faces complex and interrelated challenges.

“I believe deeply in the power of collaboration between residents, city staff, and leadership to collectively solve those problems,” she said. “It is exciting to come back to MONUM working for an innovative mayor who is ready to tackle these challenges and co-create solutions with residents and staff.”

Prior to joining the City of Boston, Tsay was the global policy director for cities and sustainability at Uber, where she was named a Sustainability Star by AdWeek for her work on the company’s first global sustainability commitment. And Ostberg brings to her role an eclectic background in civic innovation, urban policy, and education.

Image: © Rcavalleri | Dreamstime.com