Governance & Finance: Page


  • Intro art for Smart Cities Dive Back to Basics project.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Adeline Kon/Smart Cities Dive
    Image attribution tooltip
    Deep Dive

    15 city leaders define a ‘smart city’

    Smart Cities Dive asked major U.S. cities to weigh in on the past, present and future of their smart city efforts. In the first story of a multipart series, we highlight how city leaders define the term today.

    By Danielle McLean • Nov. 2, 2021
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    In a crisis, prepaid cards expedite relief funds to Wayne County residents

    In a crisis, prepaid cards expedite relief funds to Wayne County residents

    By Tiffani C. Jackson • Nov. 1, 2021
  • A screenshot of the city of Boston's digital twin from the Boston Planning and Development Agency website. It had last been updated on August 2021.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by The Boston Planning and Development Agency's 3D Smart Model
    Image attribution tooltip
    Deep Dive

    Are digital twins the future of urban planning?

    Digital 3D models can help city leaders plan for the future, but their value will depend on the data.

    By Adina Solomon • Nov. 1, 2021
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    Three bill pay fixes to reduce late utilities payments

    Millions of Americans fail to pay their utilities bill on time. In fact, a recent bill payment study revealed more than one in four U.S. adults (28 percent) pay their utilities bill late, with 12 percent of them saying they frequently or always pay their utilities bill late.

    By Bruce Gaskill • Oct. 28, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Taylor McKnight/Smart Cities Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    The pandemic’s silver linings for smart cities

    Smart Cities Connect participants from Zencity, Vaisala, Passport Labs, IDC, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and elsewhere weighed in on COVID-19's impacts, and also the biggest misconceptions about smart cities.

    By Danielle McLean , • Oct. 27, 2021
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    Periodic rental inspection programs are a must for every city

    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.If you had...

    By Scott McGill • Oct. 27, 2021
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    How counties can create more efficient courts and enhance the juror experience

    How counties can create more efficient courts and enhance the juror experience

    By Lynne Finley • Oct. 26, 2021
  • Two people enjoy cocktails on a rooftop in Topeka, Kansas.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Greater Topeka Partnership
    Image attribution tooltip

    ‘I get more smiles here’: Topeka makes a bid for the remote worker

    For many people, crowded and expensive areas like New York or the Bay Area have grown nearly unlivable. The Choose Topeka program has found success dangling up to $15,000 for remote workers to relocate to the Kansas city.

    By Emilie Shumway • Oct. 25, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Jaywalking reform efforts see mixed results across states, cities

    Policymakers in California, Virginia, Philadelphia and Kansas City, Missouri, are among those who have considered how to promote pedestrian safety while reducing enforcement inequities.

    By Maria Rachal • Oct. 22, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Dia Dipasupil via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    National Restaurant Association urges mayors to support expanded outdoor dining through winter

    Outdoor dining makes up 20% or more of daily sales at 68% of full-service restaurants, but 61% of these operators can only use their outdoor spaces through October, according to the association. 

    By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 21, 2021
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Majority of Los Angeles County residents face high risk to climate hazards, new study shows

    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.A new stud...

    By Michelle Havich • Oct. 20, 2021
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    North Port, Florida utilities department depends on SCADA and remote alarm notification

    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.Located on...

    By Jeremy Meegan • Oct. 19, 2021
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    5 ways to increase construction contract opportunities for small businesses

    As city and county government agency leaders know, there is tremendous power in the procurement process.

    By Dwayne Pierre-Antoine • Oct. 15, 2021
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    How local government can make better organizational decisions

    Organizations are often disappointed with the outcomes of key institutional decisions.

    By Jeff H. Edmonds • Oct. 15, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Tasos Katopodis via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    City strategies evolve on American Rescue Plan spending

    Local governments are working through the historic influx of federal funds, including newly available competitive grants, while infrastructure bill dollars remain at bay.

    By Maria Rachal • Oct. 14, 2021
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    How simplifying the permit process empowers local governments and improves local communities

    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.Building permi...

    By Jarkko Turtiainen • Oct. 13, 2021
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    Cloud security is key to cybersecurity resilience in state and local governments

    Cloud security is key to cybersecurity resilience in state and local governments

    By Rick Rosenburg • Oct. 12, 2021
  • Columbus, Ohio drove residents around the city in autonomous shuttles through the DOT's Smart Cities Challenge.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from Jeff Kupko, Michael Baker International on October 08, 2021
    Image attribution tooltip
    Q&A

    6 questions with Smart Columbus on lessons since program’s conclusion

    The program manager of the USDOT's Smart City Challenge winner reflects on the initiative's challenges, offers key advice for city leaders seeking to implement smart tech and maps out what's next for the city.

    By Danielle McLean • Oct. 11, 2021
  • smart city, smart cities
    Image attribution tooltip
    wipusit Kansarn. (2015). "_PIC1729-as-Smart-Object-2" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Regional consortiums create one of the largest US smart cities networks

    The National Smart Coalitions Partnership includes more than 100 governments across seven regional consortiums, aiming to lower barriers for local leaders to implement solutions and share best practices.

    By Cailin Crowe • Oct. 8, 2021
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Data mining software helps cities find and collect STR tax revenue

    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.Short term...

    By Michelle Havich • Oct. 7, 2021
  • The United States Capitol in February 2020
    Image attribution tooltip
    Megan Quinn/Smart Cities Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Rescue funds buoy economic outlooks, but cities eager for infrastructure dollars: NLC report

    Many cities lost revenue in FY21, but certain economic and tax changes, plus infusions of direct federal relief, helped them weather the pandemic better than the Great Recession, according to National League of Cities researchers.

    By Maria Rachal • Oct. 7, 2021
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    NLC releases annual City Fiscal Conditions survey

    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.The Nation...

    By Michelle Havich • Oct. 5, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Spencer Platt/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Q&A

    Smart cities’ impact on inequality, privacy, democracy are the focus of a new online program

    The Smart Cities for City Officials class from Sweden's Malmö University is "the first online, open-access educational program on smart cities from a social sciences perspective," its co-organizer says.

    By Danielle McLean • Oct. 1, 2021
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    How local governments can use the budgeting process to increase transparency and trust

    COVID-19 has deepened many citizens’ relationship with their local governments. In the United States, citizens are focused on both the federal government’s response and that of their local governments, which have been highly influential on the overall pandemic response in any given part of the country.

    By Charlie Francis • Oct. 1, 2021
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    5 ways online purchasing channels can boost government procurement efficiency

    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.In the fir...

    By Danielle Hinz • Oct. 1, 2021