- Many cities are turning to smart technology to make communities safer.
- Embracing technology can be cumbersome for some governments.
- Here are four ways city leaders can implement smart infrastructure smoothly.
Cities face a number of challenges that affect residents' quality of life including traffic congestion, poor air quality, safety issues, and limited internet access. To solve these pressing problems, many city leaders are embracing technology that makes cities safer and improves residents' quality of life, like pollution sensors, smart streetlights, gunshot detectors, and traffic-control monitoring.
It aims to deliver more accessible citizen services as well as enable greater transparency through broader access to data and empower citizens with new tools.
The City of Chicago announced it is planning to revamp its digital strategy to help deliver more accessible city services.
Led by the City’s Department of Assets, Information, and Services (AIS) the measures will provide more efficient IT systems, enable transparency through broader access to data, and maintain protections for residents’ privacy and security.
Read more: US: Illinois: City of Chicago announces IT modernisation programme
Five kiosks installed so far
Downtown Cincinnati is getting interactive kiosks focused on helping visitors and residents navigate the city, find social services and discover local businesses.
Mayor Aftab Pureval was at Findlay Market Friday to attend the unveiling of the innovative kiosks, called IKE (Interactive Kiosk Experience). The kiosks are a result of a zero-cost partnership between IKE Smart City, the City of Cincinnati and 3CDC.
Read more: US: Ohio: Mayor Aftab Pureval, 3CDC unveil new interactive kiosks for downtown Cincinnati
Mayor Lori Lightfoot also put two leaders in charge of the effort, including a city data specialist reporting to her office. The new effort builds upon a push to give more students Internet access at their homes.
A new effort from Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot aims to make the city’s IT systems more efficient, broaden data access, update legacy systems and boost residents’ privacy and security — and the city has put two of its tech experts in charge of that push.
Read more: US: Illinois: Chicago Debuts New IT, Digital Services Strategy for City
Flint, Dearborn and Marquette have been chosen for the first phase of a three-year pilot project that supports sustainability in communities.
MiNextCities will address climate change, promote resiliency, improve infrastructure and accelerate the use of clean energy, smart city technology and efficient mobility solutions, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).
Read more: US: Michigan: Sustainability pilot project coming to Flint