Red vs Green? Redesigning Code Enforcement Tickets to Support a Safe and Clean Boston

A 25-year-old medical student, Ji-Yun*, resides in Boston. One day he comes home to see a bright green envelope stuck to his door, with the word “Violation” written across its side. He has never seen this envelope before, so he assumes it is spam and then throws it away. 

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This envelope was placed on Ji-Yun’s door by Boston Code Enforcement Police, a division within the City of Boston’s Public Works Department, because he did not shovel the sidewalk in front of his house. When officers see dangerous sidewalks or unsanitary conditions, they issue tickets in green envelopes to non-compliant residents. The most common violations are failure to shovel snow and improper disposal of trash. 

For the past few months our team of students in DPI-663, a Harvard Kennedy School field class on Technology and Innovation in Government, has worked with Boston Code Enforcement to determine how we can encourage residents like Ji-Yun to pay legitimate fines when they violate a city code, and motivate them to comply with their code responsibilities in the future. 

To understand what leads people to pay fines, we heard from over 160 Boston residents. From them we learned that people who receive a fine fall into three broad categories: 1) people who ignore or forget the ticket, 2) people who attempt to pay but don’t complete the transaction, and 3) people who successfully pay their fine. We decided to focus on helping residents in the first two categories become more like those in the third category. 

The Power of Simplicity

After brainstorming 50 solutions, our team reflected on where in the code enforcement process our interventions could be most impactful. Given that the envelope is the first thing a violator sees from the Code Enforcement Police, we decided to focus our efforts on redesigning the envelope and everything related to it. We made simple prototypes and tested them with residents for quick feedback. After incorporating their feedback, we refined the prototypes and took them back out again for additional testing with residents. Here are our final designs based on several rounds of resident feedback: 

• Envelope: Our envelope redesign centered on helping residents understand who had mailed the envelope and why they were receiving it. 

Above: Original ticket (left) is compared to the new ticket (right).

• Ticket: Our ticket redesign focused on helping residents understand how to pay the fine, while reinforcing the reasons why they had received the ticket. 

Above: Original ticket (left) is compared to the new ticket (right).

• Insert: We created seasonal inserts that could be included with the redesigned tickets and envelopes to help educate residents about why it’s important to comply with city codes. One strategy we used was showing how code violations can negatively impact a resident’s neighbors. The insert may change a potential violator’s behavior—by making the impact of code violations more tangible. 

Above: The front (left) of the new insert illustrates a neighbor’s story, while the back (right) gives guidance on the two most common code violations.

• Letter: The City currently sends a past due notice in the mail if a resident has not paid the fine within 21 days. Given these letters are effective at getting some residents to pay, we decided to create a reminder letter that would remind people of the consequences of not paying the ticket and give them an opportunity to pay before a late fee was added. We also redesigned the past due letter to make it easy to understand the payment process.

Above: The current past due notice (left) is compared with the new letter (right).

• Website: The current City of Boston website lacks a single landing page where residents can pay or appeal their ticket, while also learning more about their code violation. Our team suggested building out a page so that residents can have all of that information in a central place.

After these changes are implemented we believe that Ji-Yun’s journey will look radically different. If he were to receive another ticket for not shoveling his snow, he would receive it in a red envelope. It would be clearly labeled as coming from the City of Boston, and he would likely open the envelope to find an insert that would share a story of one of his fellow Boston residents, educating Ji-Yun about how code violations affect his neighbors. The back of the insert would include instructions for avoiding the two most common code violations. His ticket would include clear payment steps and an explanation for why he received the ticket. If he forgot to pay, he would receive a letter in the mail one week later reminding him to make his payment to avoid a late fee. Ultimately, he would pay his ticket online or by sending a check in the red envelope. 

*Ji-Yun is a fictitious person, but his story is based on real accounts from conversations with residents. 

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It has been an honor to work with the City of Boston Department of Public Works and Code Enforcement over the past semester. We are grateful to Daniel Lesser, Director of Strategic Initiatives; Brian Coughlin, Assistant Superintendent of Waste Reduction; and Steve Tankle, Director of Code Enforcement, for all of their support and guidance during this project. We were inspired by their passion for public service and their continued efforts to continue to keep Boston safe and clean. 

 Clare Herceg, Naeha Rashid, Ariana Soto, Elyse Voegeli, & Clarisa Yerovi

Brainstorming and Sketching to Help Residents Keep the City Safe and Clean

“It is expected to snow tomorrow morning. Remember, to shovel the sidewalk three hours after snowfall ends to avoid a fine. Please help us keep Boston safe and clean.”

Imagine receiving the text message above. Would you be more likely to shovel your sidewalk? What other ways might local government officials help residents better understand their responsibilities to help keep Boston safe and clean?

Over the past few weeks, our team of students in DPI-663, a Harvard Kennedy School field class on Technology and Innovation in Government, has brainstormed over fifty ideas, including the one mentioned above to help create behavior change in residents that results in less tickets given and more tickets paid. This brainstorming initiative is a vital part of our semester-long partnership with the Boston Code Enforcement, a division within the City of Boston’s Public Works Department. Code Enforcement officers patrol Boston streets by car and foot, ensuring that residents shovel their sidewalks and properly dispose of their trash. When officers see dangerous sidewalks or unsanitary conditions, they issue tickets in green envelopes to non-compliant residents.

Our team first met with city officials to understand the importance of code responsibilities and their role in keeping Boston safe and clean. Then, we spoke to residents to understand the motivations, values, and experiences that prompted them to pay or ignore tickets. We realized that many people are willing to pay tickets, but get stuck in the process, often unsure of the importance of violations and of the steps they should take to pursue payment. How do we help residents navigate the process?

Brainstorming

Above: A team member uses the KJ method and shares the categories of our solutions.

To get there, our team first brainstormed solutions to our broad question of “How can we ensure that more tickets are paid and fewer violations are committed?”

To develop group consensus around ideas, we used the KJ method, a process that involves writing individual answers to a question on different sticky notes, and then collectively arranging the sticky notes into mutually defined categories. This process is demonstrated in the photo to the left.

Using this brainstorming method, our team organized our ideas into the following four categories: educational campaigns, ticket and envelope redesign, follow-up activities, and 311 app modifications.

We have shared details on these categories below:

• Educational campaigns: Most residents we interviewed were unaware of code violations, and this was one factor in committing violations. Some of the ideas we brainstormed to educate residents were:

  • Flyers and pamphlets;

  • Proactive outreach before high-volume violation periods like snowstorms or September move-in;

  • Events where residents could meet their Code Enforcement Officer; and

  • Push texts.

• Ticket and envelope redesign: We also learned that people often had difficulty navigating the ticket and envelope and also questioned its legitimacy. Some initial ideas for the ticket and envelope redesign were as follows:

  • Better quality paper and images;

  • City of Boston seal;

  • Clear payment date;

  • Concise, large, and accessible text; and

  • Clear steps outlined for the payment process.

Above: Current code violation ticket is contrasted to paper prototypes of new envelopes.

• Follow-up: The City of Boston sends letters to violators if ticket fines have not been paid. These letters are very effective in eliciting resident responses. Some follow-up activities that we brainstormed in this category include:

  • Proactive follow-up letter one week after ticket has been issued; and

  • Text or email reminders.

• 311 app modifications: Boston residents use the 311 phone app to report issues that require the attention of city officials, like unshoveled sidewalks or potholes. Code enforcement officers then respond to these complaints. Given that a large portion of officer’s time is spent responding to 311 app requests from residents, our group brainstormed a few solutions that leverage the app, including the following:

  • Push texts from the app;

  • Alerts if you have received a complaint from a neighbor; and

  • Opportunities for citizen-to-citizen interaction.

From Brainstorming to Creating

Brainstorming was fun, but this project is not just about ideas—it’s about creating and testing solutions. As a team, we decided not to choose one category of ideas too quickly, and instead produced paper sketches of prototypes for each category of ideas. We worked on each prototype for ten minutes with a pen and a paper. To our surprise, there were many elements that were repeated in our drawings. We used those sketches to design different versions of the prototypes to test with residents for feedback.

We are excited to continue working on our prototypes and receiving input from our partners at the City of Boston and from residents themselves in the next few weeks.

Clare Herceg, Naeha Rashid, Ariana Soto, Elyse Voegeli, & Clarisa Yerovi

Bright Green Envelopes Abound Around Boston

“Weird. I’ve never seen one of these before. Who sent this to me?”

 Meet Anisha.

 She is a 35-year old Indian American who has never seen a code enforcement ticket. When she returns home from work to find a bright green envelope wedged into her door, she is skeptical. She doesn’t recognize the sender. Anisha looks at the envelope for a few seconds and decides to throw it away.

 Is Anisha’s experience typical? How many residents behave similarly if they find a green envelope at their door?

Above: A code enforcement violation ticket is left at an apartment building.

Throughout the year, Boston Code Enforcement, a division within the City of Boston’s Department of Public Works, keeps the city safe and clean. Code Enforcement officers patrol Boston streets by car and foot, ensuring that residents shovel their sidewalks and properly dispose of their trash. When officers see dangerous sidewalks or unsanitary conditions, they issue tickets in green envelopes to non-compliant residents. Unfortunately, many of these tickets go unpaid.

As students in DPI-663, a Harvard Kennedy School field class on Technology and Innovation in Government, we have partnered with the City of Boston and its Public Works Department to create an environment where fewer tickets are given and more tickets are paid.

What motivates residents to pay tickets? What prevents them from doing so?

To help Code Enforcement spark behavior change among residents, we needed to first understand the ticketing and payment process from the perspectives of officers and residents. We accompanied officers in their patrol cars and spoke with residents on street corners, restaurants, malls, and T stations. We even tried our hand at door knocking. We wanted to learn whether residents had received code enforcement tickets and what had motivated them to pay or to ignore fines.

Above: Our team accompanied Code Enforcement officers to see the ticketing process firsthand.

Speaking with residents was illuminating. Our team quickly realized two things. First, many residents do not open the envelope. They never even see the ticket or enter the ticket payment process. Second, residents find the ticket payment process confusing and many are unable to navigate it.

These insights prompted us to identify the key steps that residents need to take to pay a ticket. A map of these steps is outlined in Figure 1.  

Figure 1: A Resident’s Journey through the Code Enforcement Ticketing and Payment Process

As we continued to speak with residents to understand their motivations, values, and experiences that prompted them to pay or ignore tickets, we identified five motivators and constraints that influence their behaviors.

1)   Trusts Ticket - Residents who perceive the ticket and envelope as legitimate government documents are more likely to pay the fine.  

2)   Knowledge of Violation - People are often unaware of their responsibilities as tenants and landlords. If they understand the violation they committed, they are more likely to pay the fine.

3)   Cares about Violation- People want to know why the laws are important. For example, many residents are unaware that disposing of trash incorrectly could lead to rodent problems on their streets. If they understand the importance of a violation, they are more likely to pay the fine.

4)   Trusts Government - Residents who respect local government and believe civic duties are important are more likely to pay their fines.

5)   Financial Constraints - Some residents lack the money to pay their fines.  

How Do We Help Residents Move Through the Payment Process?

We have realized that many people are willing to pay, but get stuck in the process. Therefore, in the coming weeks our team will focus on improving the envelope and ticket because these serve as the main touchpoint between the city and residents. We will also focus on other sites or processes that the envelope and tickets reference, and will brainstorm ways to improve residents’ understanding of the importance of these violations.

We look forward to continuing to speak with residents and using those insights to brainstorm new solutions that will better serve them and the City of Boston.

Above: Our team brainstorm solutions for informing residents of the importance of local codes.

Clare Herceg, Naeha Rashid, Ariana Soto, Elyse Voegeli, & Clarisa Yerovi

Keeping Boston Streets Safe, Clean, and Accessible

Have you ever stepped into a pile of icy slush on a Boston city sidewalk and almost slipped? Or walked out into the street to avoid trash bags that blocked a sidewalk? These annoyances may only be a minor inconvenience for some, but for others with a wheelchair or scooter these icy or blocked sidewalks can prevent them from leaving home. Thankfully, the Boston Public Works Department (PWD) works hard to keep Boston streets safe, clean, and accessible for all residents.

A sidewalk that wasn’t shoveled has iced over, making it treacherous for people to use.

A landlord shoveled the sidewalk, making it accessible for everyone.

Improving City Code Enforcement to Promote Cleaner and Safer Streets

As students in DPI-663, a Harvard Kennedy School field class on Technology and Innovation in Government, we are partnering with the City of Boston and its Public Works Department to improve how residents and landlords experience code enforcement. What is code enforcement, you ask? Code, in this context, isn’t C++ or Python; rather, it’s state and city laws that ensures access to safe and clean sidewalks and streets for all residents.

The City of Boston 311 app allows residents to submit service requests immediately to Code Enforcement Police Officers. It also links to other useful applications like one that reminds residents when to put trash out.

For example, the City of Boston requires residents and landlords to shovel snow from sidewalks and to properly dispose of trash. To enforce these laws, sixteen Code Enforcement Police Officers patrol the City of Boston daily on foot and by car. 

Nearly half of code enforcement violation tickets go unpaid, and many residents don’t understand what constitutes a violation. The City of Boston has begun addressing these issues, working with another team of Harvard students last semester to study the end-to-end ticketing process. The City has also published guidelines about what constitutes a violation and how to pay a ticket, and even has a 311 app to allow residents to report service requests. Yet, many residents remain unaware of these resources. There is a great opportunity to improve residents’ awareness of these laws, while also making the ticketing and appeals processes clearer and accessible to residents.

Our Team 

Throughout the semester we are working with Daniel Lesser, Director of Strategic Initiatives; Brian Coughlin, Assistant Superintendent of Waste Reduction; and Steve Tankle, Director of Code Enforcement. Together, we will support them in spurring behavior change among residents, resulting in fewer tickets given and more tickets paid. 

Our student team brings diverse perspectives from domestic and international experience in government, for-profit, and non-profit work:

Clare Herceg is a first year MBA student at MIT Sloan who is passionate about employing cross-sector collaboration to tackle social issues. She has seven years of experience scaling, funding, and evaluating programs serving youth within the U.S. and abroad. Most recently she was the Director of Strategic Initiatives at First Place for Youth, an organization providing housing, education, and employment supports to foster youth. There she launched the organization’s national affiliate network, helping secure partnerships with government and nonprofit partners in the first three states outside California.

Naeha Rashid is a second year Master’s in Public Policy student at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) who has worked at the intersection of financial inclusion, social entrepreneurship and technology for the last few years. She is passionate about helping improve the quality and character of people’s lives. Before coming to HKS, Naeha worked for CGAP — a member of the World Bank Group — leading her team’s work in Pakistan to catalyze innovation and scaling of digital financial services. She was also a core member of the startup team for Karandaaz Pakistan (an organization funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) from 2014-16, and was a 2018 Summer Associate with Ashoka’s Global Social Financial Services team. 

Ariana Soto is a junior at Harvard College studying Government with a minor in Computer Science. She is passionate about the intersection of technology and government and its capacity to do good. This summer, she interned at the New York Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics. In 2017, Ariana was an intern through the inaugural DataLA Summer Academy with the Los Angeles Mayor’s Data Team. Ariana serves as Project Manager of Coding it Forward, a nonprofit that inspires and empowers students with technology skills to create social impact in fields like healthcare, education, nonprofit, and public service. 

Elyse Voegeli is a data analyst and designer focusing her HKS degree on the intersection of tech and public policy. Before HKS, she worked for 4 years as the program manager of the Tufts Labor Lab, conducting impact evaluations of human rights programs in global clothing factories. While at HKS she’s developed a passion for human-centered design and has taken coursework in data visualization, behavioral economics, and design. She combines her years of research experience and passion for visual art for a user-first approach to technology and design solutions.

Clarisa Yerovi is a Fulbright scholar and Master of Public Policy student at HKS. Prior to Harvard, she worked in the Peruvian government for 4 years focusing on cross-functional coordination, transportation infrastructure, and university reform. She is interested in how governments can work better and have a better relationship with citizens through technology.  She is also currently on the boards of the Latin American Caucus at HKS and the Harvard-wide Association of Peruvian students. 

Listening to Residents and Landlords

Example of Code Enforcement Violation Ticket

Over the next few weeks our team will find ways to listen to residents and landlords to hear their stories. We will ask questions like: “Do you know why you received this ticket? What are you going to do with it? Will you appeal it? Do you know what your responsibilities are as a landlord or as a tenant to keep the city safe and clean?” We will also seek to understand how people navigate the ticket payment process. 

We will also accompany Code Enforcement Police as they patrol their routes, and attend an Appeals Court Hearing to learn more about the process Boston residents face if they contest a code violation ticket. Building on the research from the past Harvard class and best practices from other cities across the country, we are excited to dig in! 

Have you recently received a code violation in Boston or know someone who has? Email us at dpi663bostoncode@gmail.com if you would like to share your perspective with our team! 

Clare Herceg, Naeha Rashid, Ariana Soto, Elyse Voegeli, & Clarisa Yerovi