The Smart City Challenge is over, but Smart Columbus lives on. The city and Columbus Partnership will continue to co-lead the initiative as a nonprofit organization and increase its emphasis on deploying technology to promote environmental sustainability and social equity.
The initiative has delivered its final 500-page report to the U.S. Department of Transportation, which named Columbus the winner of its 2016 challenge. Overall, the $54.6 million project came in under the $59 million budget because of projects that were canceled or that shrank in scope.
Speakers at the Arizona Virtual Digital Government Summit examined how the pandemic tested existing digital infrastructure systems — and how it demonstrated the need for governments to evolve.
The pandemic accelerated the need for many government organizations to modernize their digital infrastructure, which was a central topic of discussion during the Arizona Virtual Digital Government Summit* earlier this week.
Weiterlesen: US: How the Pandemic Accelerated Modernization Efforts in Arizona
Arlington neighborhoods may have quicker, more reliable internet connections under an agreement to build a citywide fiber optic broadband network.
The city tapped international developer SiFi Networks to build, operate and maintain a network that can support multiple service providers offering broadband speed plans ranging from 100 megabytes to 1 gigabit. The company expects to install 10.2 million linear feet of cable near as many as 172,000 residences and businesses, according to city documents.
- Government investment in technology will go a long way to improve the lives of citizens and anyone who interacts with government officials or offices.
- Technology can streamline certain processes that may otherwise take weeks to complete.
- Governments that invest in technology can also save a lot of money by decreasing human errors and increasing overall efficiency.
When you think about customer experience (CX), you usually don’t think about interacting with the government. If anything, interactions with the government seem to lack customer experience. Waiting in long lines at the DMV, frustrating interactions with the IRS, or using government websites that seem like they are always crashing are all just the opposite of a good customer experience.
Weiterlesen: US: How Technology Can Transform Government Services
Can the U.S. legislature kickstart a national “smart city” movement? After all, smarter and more sustainable communities hold the promise of boosting local economies and supporting American competitiveness in the global marketplace.
Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., and Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., last month reintroduced the Smart Cities and Communities Act, proposing federal spending of $1.1 billion over five years to provide assistance and coordinate resources for local governments interested in pushing a smart-city agenda. Notable is its focus on cybersecurity and urban-innovation skills development.
Weiterlesen: US: Will legislation propel the smart city movement?