Betsy Gardner

Senior Editor and Communications Manager

Betsy Gardner (she/her) is the Senior Editor and Communications Manager for Data-Smart City Solutions and the Producer of the Data-Smart City Pod at The Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University. Prior to joining Data-Smart, Gardner worked in a variety of roles in higher education, including Research Programs Manager at Emerson College, Assistant Director of Training at Northeastern University, and researcher and writer at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. She has several publications through the Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center for Democratic Governance and the Lincoln Institute and has written for Government Technology and Governing Magazine. Gardner holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Policy from Northeastern University, a bachelor’s degree in Art History from Boston University, and a graduate certificate in Digital Storytelling from the Harvard Extension School.

Articles and Research

Federal Data, Local Impact: What Cities Need to Know

Host Stephen Goldsmith speaks with Denice Ross, Director of Federal Data Policy at the Federation of American Scientists, about the relationship between local and federal data, what city CDOs should prioritize, and why cities have untapped power to shape...

Betsy Gardner

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Enacting StatGPT

A workbook for city leaders and public servants to learn how to develop an AI-enabled StatGPT tool for city management, moving beyond theoretical discussions by developing and testing AI performance management tools.

Betsy Gardner Marcelle Momha

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Building an AI-Ready City Government

City leaders are eager to deploy AI, but the real opportunity lies in preparation: building the right organizational structures, expertise, and culture first.

Host Stephen Goldsmith speaks with Teddy Svoronos, senior lecturer in public policy at the...

Betsy Gardner

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How Fort Worth Moves Millions

The city of Fort Worth accommodates millions of people across 13 counties, jurisdictions, and transportation entities, working closely with hundreds of stakeholders. To outline and plan the future of transportation, the city created a dynamic, data-driven...

Betsy Gardner

Skyline of Ft Worth with cars driving over a bridge in the foreground

Agentic AI Comes to City Hall

Data-Smart City Pod host Stephen Goldsmith speaks with Boston CIO Santi Garces and Harvard Business School Professor Mitch Weiss to explore the "growing gap" between AI capability and organizational adoption.

Betsy Gardner

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How Cities Can Measure What Actually Matters

What does a city government owe its residents? Host Stephen Goldsmith speaks with Eyal Feder-Levy, CEO of Zencity, to explore how GenAI is fundamentally transforming the way cities measure, understand, and respond to resident needs. For decades...

Betsy Gardner

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