Public Policy Lab

"Humans are really essential when people are navigating high stakes, unfamiliar systems, things that really affect the core things that people need in life." — Yasmin Fodil

Thank you to everyone who joined our latest PPL15 webinar on human connection in public-sector innovation! PPL Senior Principal Andrew Eickmann, Emily Osgood (NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD)), and Yasmin Fodil (Code for America) looked back on the development of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development’s community "Housing Ambassadors" program — launched as a pilot in 2014 and now active in nearly 50 organizations across all five boroughs.

Even the best tools can’t replace that human connection.

Check out the full recording here:

PPL15: Good Tools Aren't Enough Panel Discussion – Public Policy Lab Public systems often invest in better data, clearer interfaces, and smarter tools — but tools alone rarely change people’s lives for the better. Drawing on lessons from Public Policy Lab’s latest blog post, Good Tools Aren’t Enough, this event explores what truly enables effective public ser...

This week, Aaron Landsman, theater artist and Perfect City (https://perfectcity.org/) founder, led our team in an ‘avoidance mapping exercise,’ visualizing how we navigate the city and circumvent key places—from the dark corner of the park with no street lamps to the block where an ex lives. The exercise sparked a rich discussion about access and belonging and how public infrastructure and services can facilitate (or inhibit) these feelings. We’re looking forward to incorporating these new ways of thinking and mapping into our work!

What makes public services work isn’t just better tools—it’s trust and human connection.

In the second essay of our PPL15 series, Andrew Eickmann—former planner with NYC Housing—reflects on improving the affordable housing application process and what it taught him about sustaining change in government. Through human-centered design, and his first fellowship with PPL, he learned that clear information and tools rarely succeed alone; meaningful change requires agencies to take thoughtful risks and invest in real relationships within communities.

Read the full essay here: https://www.publicpolicylab.org/resources/good-tools-arent-enough/