New Future Cities Accelerator Will Scale Up Urban Innovation

The Rockefeller Foundation and the Unreasonable Institute want to help small organizations implement big ideas around the US.

1 minute read

August 18, 2016, 9:00 AM PDT

By Elana Eden


At the Millennial Tech & Change Summit in San Francisco, the Rockefeller Foundation and Boulder-based accelerator Unreasonable Institute announced the launch of a $1-million competition aimed at spurring the "next generation" of urban innovation.

The goal of the program is to "develop revolutionary solutions to complex urban problems facing poor or vulnerable people in cities across the country."

Ten proposals will be selected to participate in the Future Cities Accelerator, which is designed to help early-stage organizations scale their programs up to reach at least 1 million people.

Each will receive $100,000 in grants, as well as nine months of intensive training and support, and access to global investors.

The application deadline is September 25, 2016. Winners will be announced January 4, 2017.

Friday, August 12, 2016 in Curbed

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing

The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

July 14 - Strong Towns

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14 - Smart Cities Dive

Green Skid Row mural satirizing city limit sign in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.

July 14 - Los Angeles Public Press