LB Co-Lab
Long Beach Collaboratory (LB Co-Lab) program is a community-driven civic technology program that pairs community members with City staff to co-design and implement solutions that address bold City problems. The central premise of LB Co-Lab is that inviting Long Beach community members to participate directly in the co-design process will lead to more effective, accessible City solutions that address real neighborhood needs.
Vision:
LB Co-Lab will empower Long Beach residents by creating a participatory, democratic platform where community members and City officials collaboratively design and implement solutions to address real neighborhood needs. By leveraging technology and collaborative processes, LB Co-Lab seeks to create sustainable, scalable improvements that reflect the diverse needs and aspirations of Long Beach’s neighborhoods. As the City prepares for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, LB Co-Lab aspires to position Long Beach as a leader in community-driven innovation and civic pride.
How do I participate?
Residents - Become an Innovator in Residence (IIR)
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City Staff - Submit a Challenge Idea
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Submit your application! |
Submit an idea! |
| Who can apply? What are the requirements? | Who can submit challenge ideas? |
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All residents of Long Beach are encouraged to apply. There are no language or educational requirements for this role. Requirements:
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All City of Long Beach staff members are encouraged to submit bold and innovative ideas aimed to be solved through LB Co-Lab's community-led design model. |
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Why apply? |
Why submit an idea? |
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Residents who particapte will lead neighborhood improvement projects that will directly impact Long Beach communities before the 2028 Olympics. Participants will gain knowledge and improve skills on local storytelling, building community ties, and creating partnerships. Selected particpants will recieve a total of $4,000 for their commitment to the program. Design, implement, and measure the impact of real neighborhood improvement solutions like:
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By submitting an idea City staff get a chance to drive meaningful and impactful change in Long Beach while also developing professional skills in service design, user experience, and human centered-design. Chosen idea submissions will recieve funding from the Technology and Innovation Department to implement a 12-month pilot solution! |
| Commitment | Commitment |
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The program will run for 24 months from Spring 2025 to Spring 2027. Approximately up to 3 hours a week the first 12 months and up to 1 hours a week the second 12 months. For more information on the time commitment read the complete job decription here. |
During the idea submission process, there is no commitment from City staff. Only if the idea submitted is chosen will they have to decide if it's a program they can commit and will work closely with the selected Innovators in Residence. |
| Application closes: February 28, 2025 | Idea submission closes: February 28, 2025 |
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How does the program work?
The LB Co-Lab Program is structured around four distinct but interconnected phases categorized by either divergent or convergent methodologies: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver. Each phase is designed to guide the program from initial exploration to final implementation, ensuring that community-driven technology solutions are effectively realized and aligned with Long Beach's broader strategic goals.
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Discover Phase: the foundational stage of the LB Co-Lab Program, where we lay the groundwork for identifying and addressing key challenges that align with the strategic priorities of the 2028 Olympic Games. This phase is focused on gathering insights, validating problems, and engaging in the community to ensure that the selected challenges resonate with the needs and aspirations of Long Beach residents. |
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Define Phase: crucial in transforming the initial broad challenges identified during the Discover Phase into specific, actionable opportunities for innovation. This phase is about honing the most impactful and feasible challenges that align with the program’s objectives and the community's needs. |
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Develop Phase: dedicated to harnessing the creativity and expertise of external partners to generate solutions in response to the RFIs and then uplifting the expertise of pilot teams to evaluate innovative solutions that address the identified challenges. This phase emphasizes collaboration, experimentation, and community engagement, ensuring that the solutions developed later are both practical and impactful. |
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Deliver Phase: the final and most critical stage of the LB Co-Lab Program, where the selected solution is brought to life through a structured 12-month pilot implementation. This phase focuses on execution, continuous learning, and impact assessment to determine the viability of scaling the solution across Long Beach |
Key program enhancements:
The second iteration of LB Co-Lab introduces key changes in the idea challenge discovery process where City staff is first invited to submit challenge ideas helping build support to sustain the solutions ultimately implemented through LB Co-Lab. To finalize and move forward with the list of challenge ideas submitted, the following will occur.- TID will review each challenge first assessing for positive impact and alignment with community priorities.
- After the review, TID will poll the greater Long Beach community for direct feedback the ideas submitted.
- Selected Innovators in Residence will work alongside City staff to co-design a technology pilot solution that addresses one of the final challenge ideas submitted.
- Lastly, the challenge ideas submitted must support the City’s readiness and community building efforts for the 2028 Olympics. Long Beach is investing in long-term well-being of residents while also preparing for the 2028 Olympics.
