The Sunlight Foundation released a report that found that cities use Federal data to make strategic decisions including identifying local issues and informing policy decisions. The majority of cities began using Federal data more than a decade ago and 43 percent plan to increase their use of Federal data in the future.
Seattle hosted its “City for All” hackathon, which gathered data scientists, designers and urban planners, and software developers to search for solutions for challenges connected to aging and accessibility within the city. The hackathon was hosted in partnership with the Age-Friendly Seattle initiative, part of Seattle’s commitment to residents of all ages, including senior citizens who wish to age in place.
Successful smart city initiatives rely on cities collaborating with each other, the Federal government, the private sector, and citizens, according to city mayors and Federal experts who spoke at the Global City Teams Challenge Expo on Aug. 28.
Cities including Salem, Ore., and Casper, Wyo., turned to Esri’s Geographic Information System (GIS) technology when thousands of visitors poured in to watch the total eclipse on Aug. 21.
This spring, Seattle started looking for a Smart City Coordinator–the first in the city’s history. After a few months of searching, Seattle found the right candidate, Kate Garman. On July 20 the former Innovation Policy Analyst for Kansas City, Mo.’s Office of Innovation was officially appointed to the role.
Las Vegas wants to be a leader in technology. The city is working with Cisco to test new Internet of Things technologies via pilot programs in the Innovation District.
This August, Charlottesville, Va., residents will have greater access to government salaries, traffic information, environmental data, and police statistics, thanks to a new open data portal from Smart Cville, which is a nonprofit, citizen-driven organization that promotes the use of technology to make cities better places to live.
Last week Chicago’s City Council approved Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s appointment of Danielle DuMerer as CIO. In an interview with 21st Century State & Local, DuMerer discussed her work with the city of Chicago and her vision for its future.
St. Louis Alderman Terry Kennedy proposed a bill that would require law enforcement surveillance cameras and program plans to be reviewed by the Board of Aldermen in order to protect citizens’ privacy.
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is partnering with Bombardier Transportation to deploy TrackSafe Technology to protect rail workers. According to Federal Transit Administration statistics, between 2003 and 2008, 53 percent of reported rail transit worker fatalities were right-of-way related incidents. Track workers need advance warning of an approaching train, and train operators require […]
