Public Policy, Civic Engagement, and Governance Panel with Jeff Coyle and Jim Bailey

Introduction 

The Civic Tech Scholars, through Better Futures Institute, had the opportunity to engage in conversation with two experts as part of our series aimed at exploring the future of cities. This blog post will deep dive into our session centered around Public Policy, Civic Engagement, and Governance, where we spoke with Jeff Coyle and Jim Bailey.

Background on Experts 

Jim Bailey is the Senior Principal at Alamo Architects and the Board Chair at ActivateSA. His work focuses on affordable housing with an emphasis on urban design and multi-family housing. He founded ActivateSA, a nonprofit advocacy organization focused on micromobility.

Jeff Coyle is the Assistant City Manager for the City of San Antonio. His role oversees the airport, government affairs, communication and engagement, military affairs, and the 311 team.

Key Insights and Takeaways 

From the discussion, we have organized our thoughts into several different categories to provide an understanding of the bigger picture and next steps.

1. Key Themes & Opportunities for Further Exploration 

Engagement is difficult because some demographics are more active than others for numerous reasons. Causes include the digital divide, the ability to take off work or secure childcare to attend public meetings, and how affected people feel by public issues. How do we address the digital divide and encourage inclusivity in public engagement?

When we asked the panelists what they were most concerned about for the future, they both had the same automatic answer: climate change. This issue will greatly affect San Antonio, so we need to explore strategies to address climate change and enhance the city’s resilience to environmental changes.

The panel emphasized that San Antonians have repeatedly advocated for more green space and better infrastructure, which is a positive sign. However, efforts can be complicated by state vs. city politics. How do we better understand and navigate the relationship between the city and federal/state governments to increase public engagement in policy making?

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2. Promising Practices 

Hearing Coyle and Bailey’s stories led to immense insight into what is currently happening in San Antonio due to their dedicated and passionate involvement. Here are some highlights of current practices in the city that are actively helping:

• Programs like SA Speak Up allow people to participate and share their opinions on city council policies without needing to attend the session in person (Coyle).
• For improved community engagement, meeting people where they are by going door to door and then offering incentives for participation in developing policy has been one of the most successful ways to get people involved (Bailey).
• The creation of a displacement input tool to launch later in 2024 will assist with neighborhood stabilization by running a neighborhood through an analysis of specific predictors and then addressing any problems that may cause displacement (Bailey).
• The city provides incentives for the private sector to adjust to the needs of citizens, such as reducing costs for businesses to build houses downtown by offering breaks on certain construction necessities (Coyle).
• A policy recently passed has allowed for $2 billion to go toward the expansion of the San Antonio Airport (Coyle).
• Transit-oriented development is slowly taking shape in San Antonio with VIA upgrading some of their bus routes for improved bus lines (Bailey).
• ActivateSA is working on projects to improve the community of San Antonio by enhancing parks, recreational spaces, biking lanes, and streets (Bailey).

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3. Critical Challenges some text
   1. Gaps in Public Engagement 

There are evident gaps in representation in public policy, as not everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute to the conversation. Causes include the digital divide, the need for incentives to participate, and the ability to reach people where they are, which often requires extra resources.

2. Climate Change 

With San Antonio’s car-centric infrastructure, transitioning to sustainable transportation is very difficult. The space that roads take up, the lack of greenspace, and the cars themselves contribute to the already intense and worsening heat.

3. Public Policy Process 

The conversation highlighted frustration with the lack of autonomy that the city of San Antonio has. On several occasions, locally supported infrastructure projects have been shut down by the state. This tension often stems from the political differences between San Antonio, a blue city, and the state of Texas, a red state.

4. Displacement and Gentrification 

Rapid population growth and the influx of new residents have caused property values to rise. There is an increasing demand for urban density, which can lead to displacement in generally affordable neighborhoods with long-standing culture and history, ultimately pushing locals out and diminishing the city’s rich culture.

Conclusion 

Thanks to Jeff Coyle and Jim Bailey, we have gained an understanding of the frustrations felt by those working in governance and public policy. The two are closely tied to the city government and the people they represent, doing great work to help the city grow productively while protecting its history, locals, and affordability.

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