Bloomberg Philanthropies’ What Works Cities (WWC) initiative added five new partner cities: Athens, Ga.; Chula Vista, Calif.; Colorado Springs; Gainesville, Fla.; and Palmdale, Calif. With the new additions WWC is now partnering with 95 cities across the country. The WWC initiative is working to improve the effectiveness of local governments by enhancing their use of data […]

The National Association of State CIOs recognized excellence in state technology at all levels at the recently wrapped NASCIO 2017 annual conference. Four awards were announced: the State Technology Innovator Awards, the 2017 NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards, the Thomas M. Jarrett Cybersecurity Scholarship, and the Corporate Longevity Awards.

San Diego County partnered with Esri to release the Know Your Hazards interactive mapping tool that gives citizens real-time data on the likelihood that natural disasters could affect their homes.

Los Angeles County has seen a steady decline in ridership in recent years–annual ridership is down by nearly 3 million in the past three years. The local government is launching a pilot program to combat that decline–free Wi-Fi on county buses.

AT&T was awarded a $6.5 billion contract to build and operate the nationwide network FirstNet. However, the legislation that authorizes FirstNet also authorizes a state to develop its own alternative on the spectrum carved out for the network, as long as the alternative is interoperable with the FirstNet core.

San Jose, Calif., wants to be America’s most innovative city by 2020, and it’s hoping that a recent $200,000 investment will help get it there. In an interview with 21st Century State & Local, San Jose CIO Shireen Santosham discussed how the city used the investment to support IoT strategic planning, as well as its technology plans for the future.

San Francisco has adjusted its open data portal to make it easier for residents to view crime statistics geographically.

Police helicopters flying above San Diego are now equipped with Internet capabilities. The San Diego Police Department uses its Airborne Law Enforcement helicopter fleet to protect residents; however, helicopters were previously unable to access the department’s computer-aided dispatch system. This system gives officers real-time information about evolving incidents.

To help prepare the public for wildfires, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection released a new app called “Ready for Wildfire.”