Urban Tech Hub 2021 Annual Report

September 2021

With great challenges come great opportunities, and perhaps there was no more challenging year in recent history than 2020. We launched the Hub at the height of the pandemic in New York, as cities around the world were reeling. At the same time, the accelerated adoption of new digital and communication technologies exposed underlying inequities, including the digital divide in the city.

The mission of the Urban Tech Hub is to bridge government, industry, and academia. Central to our vision for how technology and cities interact is people, and that’s why we approach every urban challenge from the perspective of the people and communities impacted.

It is my pleasure to share with you our first year of accomplishments, including our public series “What’s Next for Urban Tech?” and our first publication, Rebooting NYC. These programs, projects, and partnerships all have one thing in common: they are grounded in the dynamism and diversity that make our great cities greater.

As New York City begins to recover from the COVID pandemic, the Urban Tech Hub will play a central role in shaping a future where new technologies and good urbanism intersect, making cities that are stronger, fairer, and more resilient.