Center for Urban Innovation

The Aspen Institute Center for Urban Innovation (CUI) is a network hub that catalyzes and supports a broader movement to define values-led approaches to developing, piloting, regulating, and evaluating  urban technologies.  We connect city leaders, non-profit organizations, and emerging businesses who share the belief that people deserve more than “smart cities.”  We deserve cities that promote human flourishing and digital infrastructure that enhances the experiences and opportunities that city life affords for all residents, particularly those in underserved neighborhoods.  That’s the standard that we seek to develop and promote.

The Center is designed to be a white-board space where smart, passionate, and creative people ask the next generation of questions and find answers together.  In line with the Aspen Institute’s focus on values-based discussion, we seek to understand and articulate the values implicated in innovation, disruption, inclusion, and reinvention.  We believe that innovation is not synonymous with technology, and that innovation can and does come from every corner of cities and regions.