KINNDcities · For cities and public agencies

Cities are members here, not spectators.

KINNDcities is how municipalities and public institutions work with KINNDship: cross-border exchange, civic innovation, smart community readiness and policy collaboration. What KINNDcities is →

How a city joins

How a city joins KINNDcities.

The steps

From first call to first pilot.

Every step after the inquiry is led by people, on both sides. The two marked steps are approvals that belong to the lawyers and to the city.

  1. InquiryCity

    A short form. No prices and no commitment. A named contact replies.

  2. Discovery callBoth

    Goals, limits and the city's calendar. We also confirm who can sign, and up to what amount.

  3. ScopeBoth

    Choose Observer, Municipal Member or a Partner Channel, and the channels that fit.

  4. MOU draftKINNDship

    Programs, roles, reporting and terms, written for a public body.

  5. Legal reviewBothApproval

    The city attorney and our counsel review the draft.

  6. Authority approvalCityApproval

    Council, board or city manager, by the city's own process. Often an open meeting.

  7. Liaison appointedCity

    The city names its liaison. Their access follows the MOU.

  8. PilotBoth

    Plan and deliver the first pilot. Residents can be invited where the MOU allows.

  9. Report & renewBoth

    Reporting you can take to council, and renewal on the city's own timeline.

Most cities take several months to reach a signed MOU. The city's own calendar sets the pace.

Three ways to take part

Start as an Observer. Join when it fits.

ObserverFreeNo agreement needed

Follow the KINNDcities work and scope the fit before anything is signed.

  • Briefings and updates
  • A discovery call
  • Help scoping a fit
Municipal Member$5,000 a year reference feeMOU · final terms set in the MOU

Formal participation in KINNDcities under an MOU.

  • The channels your MOU names
  • Exchanges and delegations
  • Pilots planned with the city
  • Reporting for council
Partner ChannelCustomCustom MOU

One focused channel for a city that wants one thing done well.

  • One channel, scoped with the city
  • Its own plan and reporting

No card payments. Cities pay by invoice, or as the MOU sets out.

Channels

What the MOU can switch on.

  • Smart communities and AI utilityReadiness and pilots for connected, community-serving infrastructure, including AI utility.
  • Policy innovationWorking sessions on new local policy, with residents' views gathered through Our Voice.
  • Municipal exchangeCity-to-city exchange and delegations across the Georgia–Japan corridor.
  • Municipal innovation (Academy)Learning for city staff on municipal innovation.
  • Civic exchangeCivic and cultural exchange between partner communities.
  • KINNDcitizens civic spaceA public page where the city posts goals, challenges, questions and service projects, and residents respond. The city decides when to open it.
Ready to approve

What we can hand your staff.

  • MOU and pilot annex
  • Council resolution and staff-report wording
  • One-page public-benefit statement
  • W-9 and good-standing certificate
  • Insurance certificate (COI)
  • Conflict-of-interest and no-gifts policy
  • Open-records acknowledgment
  • Accessibility statement (WCAG 2.1 AA)

Ask for any of these during scoping.

Taking this to council?The council brief puts KINNDcities, the options and the approval steps on one printable page, with sample wording for a staff report.

Start a municipal inquiryOpen the council brief →

KINNDcities is in development. KINNDship does not guarantee government action, funding or outcomes, and nothing on this page implies any city's endorsement.

After a city signs, it can open a civic space. The city posts its questions and its residents answer.

KINNDcitizens civic spacesCouncil briefA city presence at KINND|PORT
Start the conversation

Every city starts with an inquiry.

Municipal membership begins with a conversation, not a checkout. Tell us who you are and what your community needs.

Start a municipal inquiry

Taking it to council? Open the council brief. Want the bigger picture first? Read what KINNDcities is.