"The report argues that innovation is essential for the public sector. In the private sector innovation is estimated to contribute some 85% of US productivity gains, yet the public sector is much less impressive. However, innovation here is increasingly needed - to tackle new challenges such as climate change and obesity or to make federal funding go further. At the level of government as a whole the authors recommend the following: * Identify priority fields for innovation: The government must identify the fields of public action where innovation is most needed -such as climate change, aging or schooling. * Finance innovation: The authors propose a broad target that at least 1 percent of agency budgets should be used to develop, test, and scale up new and better ways of doing things in the public sector. This money should be spent in a similar manner to private sector investors - small amounts of money for early stage ideas with a small chance of success, but a high impact if they succeed. And then larger amounts of money for projects that are able to prove their potential or impact.

"This book is a manual for those planning or operating a shared space. It reveals the accumulated knowledge of six years of experience and offers a ton of tips, lessons and tools for developing a strong organization and vibrant community."

"At its simplest, The Enabling City is a new way of thinking about communities and change.

Guided by principles such as collaboration, innovation and participation, the pioneering initiatives featured in The Enabling City attest to the power of community in stimulating the kind of innovative thinking needed to tackle complex issues ranging from participatory citizenship to urban livability.

We know that markets are no longer the only sources of innovation, and that citizens are capable of more than just voting during election time. We have entered an era where interactive technologies and a renewed idea of citizenship are enabling us to experiment with alternative notions of sustainability and to share knowledge in increasingly dynamic ways.

"'An Inequitable Invitation to Citizenship: Non-College-Bound Youth and Civic Engagement', published by Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE), examines the issue of public and civic involvement for teenagers not on a university path. The paper explores the lack of engagement of this group compared to their peers and is rich with ideas and advice for a wide array of influencers, including funders, educators, the government, the military and businesses. The report concludes with recommendations of how to bring non-college-bound youth into our civic, public and political life."