Tech & Data

  • City buildings and downtown street, mountains in background
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    This city is not just training its staff on AI, it’s educating the public

    San José, California, is partnering with OpenAI, Google and Anthropic to make AI tools and education available to residents through the public library.

    By • April 13, 2026
  • Aerial view of cityscape with golden dome in the foreground.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Cool Cities Lab heat-mapping tool helps cities target relief where it’s needed most

    From Atlanta’s cool roof ordinance to Boston’s pilot programs, cities are using block-level data to identify heat risks and deploy targeted solutions.

    By • April 13, 2026
  • Digital data flow on road with motion blur to create vision of fast speed transfer. Explore the Trendline➔
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    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
  • Hand holding a mobile phone with image of a credit card that says Bill Payment and has a red Pay button.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How AI is rewiring utility billing in Panama City, Florida

    The city replaced a disconnected legacy system with an AI-enabled platform, accelerating payment posting, improving data access and trimming paper costs by 25%, it says.

    By Stephanie Kanowitz • April 10, 2026
  • The Seattle skyline, featuring the Space Needle and skyscrapers.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    3 city AI policies to watch

    Local governments are increasingly interested in using artificial intelligence to boost efficiency. These cities have established policies.

    By • April 9, 2026
  • Contrast of old brick and new glass architecture
    Image attribution tooltip

    AdobeStock/1919576325 Jason Wells

    Image attribution tooltip
    Sponsored by PayIt

    Digital government’s next challenge: Making systems work together

    Governments have digitized services. The challenge now is getting them to work harder.

    April 6, 2026
  • Night scense of a multilane road filled with cars and a school bus stopped at a red light.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Generative AI is the future of traffic engineering, Miovision says

    Its AI agent for transit authorities and traffic engineers provides both efficiency and safety benefits, the company says.

    By • April 1, 2026
  • Detroit, Michigan, USA downtown skyline from above at dusk.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    AI in local government? Detroit residents are ‘not widely convinced’ it belongs.

    Support for artificial intelligence in city operations is largely contingent on what localities are using it for, a University of Michigan study found.

    By • March 31, 2026
  • A man holds an electric vehicle charger.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Puget Sound Energy is turning to EVs for backup power and grid support

    The utility is partnering with Ford and Kia to test whether electric vehicles can keep homes running and support grid resilience during outages.

    By Brian Martucci • March 26, 2026
  • AI chat bot, Programmer using generative artificial intelligence for software development inside office.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    43% of public sector employees use AI at least a few times a year, Gallup finds

    Less than 40% of the public sector employees surveyed said their organization has a clear AI strategy, according to a recent poll.

    By • March 24, 2026
  • Sandstone neoclassical Idaho State Capitol building against mountain backdrop. Afternoon light illuminates the dome.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Idaho updates grant-management system with cloud-based platform

    The modernization project consolidated multiple grant processes across state agencies into one system. It’s already saving time.

    By • March 20, 2026
  • Traffic backed up on a highway in Chicago in 2023 with the cityscape in the distance.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Wirestock via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How real-time data can forecast traffic flow

    StreetLight Data adds traffic forecasting to its monitoring software, helping officials respond faster to incidents.

    By • March 13, 2026
  • Futuristic white aircraft with multiple propellers flying over a coastline.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Joby Aviation
    Image attribution tooltip

    Where 5 air taxi pilot projects will begin this year

    The Federal Aviation Administration’s program to bring advanced air mobility to the skies will also address cargo drones and emergency medical response across 26 states.

    By • March 10, 2026
  • View looking up toward the right-side front of a large bus, with two small cameras mounted above the front door.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Coach USA
    Image attribution tooltip

    360-degree cameras eliminate blind spots for intercity bus drivers

    Coach USA employed AI cameras to give their drivers a better view of their surroundings, cutting preventable accidents by 92%.

    By • March 6, 2026
  • A cityscape in front of a snow-capped mountain.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Got a spare room in Portland, Oregon? The city might give you $1K to rent it out.

    The home-sharing program is one of several city efforts to activate "underutilized" housing, Mayor Keith Wilson said.

    By • March 3, 2026
  • low-rise red apartment building
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How one company is using AI to transform affordable housing

    EliseAI is automating workflows and taking phone calls for property managers who oversee one in six rental units in the U.S., the company says.

    By • Feb. 26, 2026
  • An aerial view of a city by the water.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How a Maryland county integrated AI into its case management systems

    Anne Arundel County is using AI to target repetitive tasks like transcriptions and case summaries, but staff oversight remains at the core of the process.

    By • Feb. 24, 2026
  • Seven garbage trucks line up in front of a historic building with a clock tower and green dome. Traffic signals and bare trees are visible under a cloudy sky.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Used with permission from Samsara

    Image attribution tooltip
    Sponsored by Samsara

    The business case for dash cams: prioritizing ROI in a precarious fiscal climate

    How city fleets are protecting drivers and budgets.

    Feb. 23, 2026
  • legal team use of AI
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    AI is ‘the wild west right now.’ These experts explain how cities can use it ethically.

    Intention, transparency and human accountability are key metrics for ethical artificial intelligence deployment, according to experts on a recent CivicLabs panel.

    By • Feb. 18, 2026
  • An office worker is seen from behind as he sits at his desk.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Public sector interest in AI is high, but readiness is not, new research finds

    Less than 2% of public sector leaders are deploying AI across departments as security concerns and lack of clear state and federal guidance hinder adoption, the survey found.

    By • Feb. 17, 2026
  • A poster that reads "Under Trump, Costs are Rising" is displayed as House Ways and Means Tax Subcommittee as lawmakers speak during a news conference.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Data centers pursue on-site power as state and local leaders worry about their impact on utility bills: report

    State elections last year demonstrated “voter angst around inflation in utility bills,” according to the report's author. “We’d expect more of the same this year.”

    By Robert Walton • Feb. 17, 2026
  • hand holding a phone
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Routeware
    Image attribution tooltip
    Sponsored by Routeware

    The missing layer in smart waste systems: resident engagement

    Resident outreach and engagement technology is often treated as a communications add on. In reality, it functions as essential infrastructure.

    Feb. 17, 2026
  • Yellow sign with graphic of a traffic signal reads "Red light photo enforced" over another yellow sign depicting pedestrians against a blurred backround of a city street.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    NYC commits to $1B expansion of its automated traffic safety enforcement program

    The New York City Department of Transportation will quadruple the number of red-light camera installations across the five boroughs and upgrade older equipment.

    By • Feb. 13, 2026
  • A tanker truck on a road amid trees and mountains passes a sign "Speed Limit 65" and above another sign "Slow down 69."
    Image attribution tooltip
    narvikk via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Will drivers accept technologies that limit speeding?

    A study in California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill to require speed-assistance systems in new vehicles, concluded that driver education and control would help acceptance.

    By • Feb. 12, 2026
  • Session of Government. Conference room or seminar meeting room in business event. Academic classroom training course in lecture hall. blurred businessmen talking. modern bright office indoor
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    More cities are looking to expand multilingual access to services. Could AI spell the answer?

    Wordly launched an AI platform designed to expand real-time captioning and translations for local government operations.

    By • Feb. 11, 2026
  • Red sign that says "Now hiring"
    Image attribution tooltip
    Gwengoat via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Local governments hired hundreds of former federal workers last year

    Following DOGE efforts that led to a mass exodus of federal employees in 2025, Civic Match says it has connected nearly 200 of them with local government jobs.

    By • Feb. 9, 2026