Open Society Foundations (OSF)
For the first time in 12 years, New York City prepared to welcome a new mayor—and HR&A ensured tens of thousands of residents had a voice in shaping the transition. Our Talking Transition initiative for a ten-foundation coalition transformed the traditionally insular period between election and inauguration into broad public engagement, gathering input from nearly 70,000 New Yorkers across all five boroughs.
Working on behalf of a coalition including Open Society Foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies, Brooklyn Community Foundation, Ford Foundation, New York Community Trust, New York Foundation, New York Women’s Foundation, North Star Fund, Charles H. Revson Foundation, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund, we created a 15,000 square foot open “think tent” on Canal Street that served as the initiative’s Town Hall over two weeks following the 2013 mayoral election. Talking Transition extended into neighborhoods across NYC with mobile tents and more than 100 canvassers who deployed TalkNYC, a new digital survey experience.
Nearly 70,000 people weighed in on city services and quality of life issues over which city government has influence, yielding one of the most expansive public opinion surveys in the city’s history. HR&A aggregated results in the “Sentiment of a City” report, which showed that the affordability of housing, the ability to find employment, and representation in policy decisions are among New Yorkers’ highest concerns. This innovative model demonstrated how the mayoral transition period could become an opportunity for meaningful civic engagement rather than a closed-door process.
