Now more than ever, cities need flexibility in the movement of goods

To ensure resiliency amid future disasters or pandemics, municipalities must prioritize the movement of goods the same as the movement of people.

By Cynthia Albright and Brandon Orr • April 24, 2020

LiDAR solution to monitor social distancing as cities reopen

Anaheim, CA-based iinside unveiled technology to better analyze crowd density and spacing in areas like airports or sport venues. 

By Chris Teale • April 22, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Smart Cities Technology and Data

Cities are increasingly looking to technology and data to address real-world issues from traffic safety to law enforcement.

By Smart Cities Dive staff

Chicago COVID-19 data stresses racial disparities seen nationally

Black individuals are contracting and dying from COVID-19 at a disproportionately high rate. Experts blame long-standing inequities and structural racism — and urge cities to mitigate the racial divide.

By Katie Pyzyk • April 21, 2020

‘Angeleno Campaign’ raises $10M in prepaid debit cards for LA residents

The program, created by Accelerator for America and Mastercard, saw so much immediate demand that the city's phone systems crashed.

By Cailin Crowe • April 21, 2020

Rolls-Royce forms data alliance to assist in reopening the economy

A suite of companies including IBM and Google Cloud joined the alliance to develop "practical applications" for economic recovery within business and government. 

By Kristin Musulin • April 17, 2020

Chicago uses anonymized cellphone data to show progress of COVID-19 measures

The city’s public health department is working with BlueDot to gather the location information from thousands of apps on resident phones. 

By Cailin Crowe • April 17, 2020

To keep civil infrastructure projects moving, look to the cloud

The civil engineering and construction industry cannot afford to rest on the laurels of traditional work methods when grappling with the current pandemic.

By Orla Pease • April 17, 2020

The thinking machine

Editor's note: This article was originally published in American City & County, which has merged with Smart Cities Dive to bring you expanded coverage of city innovation and local government. For the latest in smart city news, explore Smart Cities Dive or sign up for our newsletter.Artificial...

By Derek Prall • April 14, 2020

Libraries face more demand than during Great Recession: report

Despite building closures, libraries are creatively mitigating the effects of COVID-19 through efforts like virtual library cards and 3D-printed face shields.

By Cailin Crowe • April 14, 2020

Dishwashers and data laid the groundwork for Berkeley, CA's landmark waste reduction ordinance

Pre-coronavirus, many of the city's restaurants were adapting to one of the country's most aggressive ordinances around single-use plastic waste. COVID-19's impact on those plans remains to be seen. 

By Karine Vann • April 13, 2020

San Francisco tackles digital divide with Wi-Fi SuperSpots

Up to 25 SuperSpots will be installed throughout the city in high-demand places like public housing sites for the 29% of students without internet access. 

By Cailin Crowe • April 9, 2020

Federal agencies launch $9M Civic Innovation Challenge

The National Science Foundation partnered with the U.S. Departments of Energy and Homeland Security for the research competition, which aims to address community-identified mobility and resiliency challenges.

By Kristin Musulin • April 9, 2020

California permits Nuro AV deployment

Nuro is the first operator in the state permitted to deploy driverless delivery vehicles on public streets, beginning in two Bay Area counties.

By Chris Teale • Updated Dec. 28, 2020

Edge computing, 5G and AI — the perfect storm for government systems

Edge computing, 5G and AI — the perfect storm for government systems

By Shawn McCarthy • April 8, 2020

Cities play ‘matchmaker’ to connect residents, services amid pandemic

During a Cities of Service webinar, experts discussed how cities like Seattle and St. Paul, MN are leveraging community organizations to better mitigate COVID-19.

By Cailin Crowe • April 8, 2020

Ford Mobility offers struggling transit agencies software, consulting amid COVID-19

The "Fixed to Flex" platform is being offered to transit agencies at no cost to enable a smoother adjustment to unprecedented changes across pubic transit.

By Kristin Musulin • April 7, 2020

The challenges of moving a smart city event online

The annual Shared Mobility Summit will now take place virtually in May. The event's director shared the obstacles her team faced in moving to an online format, including costs, security risks and wavering attendance.

By Cailin Crowe • April 7, 2020

Cybersecurity risks spike as COVID-19 forces city staff to go remote

Before the pandemic, the likelihood and scale of cyberattacks on local governments had been intensifying. Now, with most city employees on distributed devices at home, vulnerabilities are sky high.

By Chris Teale • April 6, 2020

Keeping software development secure and productive in a work from home mandate

Many organizations have implemented remote work policies to protect their employees. As unexpected business disruptions emerge, Coder provides the solution software engineers need.

April 6, 2020

Baltimore ends aerial surveillance program

The city's spending board unanimously decided to end the six-month pilot program that captured on-the-ground footage in an attempt to reduce crime.

By Cailin Crowe • Updated Feb. 5, 2021

The CARES Act won’t support cleantech, but cities still can

Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator CEO Matt Petersen is urging cities to align priorities around COVID-19 mitigation and climate action while the federal government sleeps on funding.

By Kristin Musulin • April 3, 2020

Cities tap TikTok to squash Gen Z’s COVID-19 misconceptions

Some local governments are threading critical information into entertaining videos to capture the attention of young social media users.

By Kristin Musulin • April 2, 2020

Libraries adapt to census needs amid COVID-19 disruptions

Coronavirus has forced U.S. libraries to scratch their original census engagement plans, but many are still deploying new, creative solutions. 

By Cailin Crowe • April 1, 2020

How coronavirus is disrupting the 2020 census count

The U.S. Census Bureau has adjusted its operational schedule, but is still pushing forward with the count. "The current situation underscores the need for census data," one official said.

By Chris Teale • March 31, 2020

Reimagining the chaotic urban curb

Managing urban spaces and planning for city needs of the future is a long-term undertaking. Cities must consider how to make solutions scalable for opportunities and challenges that will arise in five, 10 or 20 years.

By Jon Ziglar • March 31, 2020