AI to find clogged drains? Possibilities, misconceptions and more on AI’s growth in the public sector

Smart Cities Dive spoke with Samsara Senior Vice President for Sales Engineering Tim Nagy about the rise of AI in local government and what the future could entail.

By Ryan Kushner • June 3, 2026

To help public agencies reduce roadway risk, platform combines diverse datasets

The Safety Hub tool from Replica and Arity gives communities “the insight they need to act before tragedy occurs,” Arity’s president said.

By Dan Zukowski • June 2, 2026

Nominate a project for the 2026 Smart Cities Dive Community Project Awards

The awards will highlight innovation and effective use of technology to solve real community problems.

By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • June 2, 2026

Data centers raise temperatures up to 4 degrees in nearby neighborhoods: study

Thermal plumes from four data centers near Phoenix threaten to raise the energy burden on surrounding neighborhoods during the extended summer cooling season, researchers found.

By Robert Freedman • May 28, 2026

ClearGov launches interactive AI platform to communicate city budgets

Rochester Hills, Michigan, received hundreds of resident comments in a pilot effort to reach its “silent majority,” a case study found.

By Ryan Kushner • May 26, 2026

18 startups chosen to test tech solutions for NY transit systems

AI is part of several Transit Tech Lab proposals this year. The public-private initiative has brought 22 ideas to fruition for the MTA to date.

By Dan Zukowski • May 20, 2026

The journey to low-carbon concrete

Concrete is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. PCL is testing smart, low‑carbon solutions.

May 18, 2026

Smart meters have saved Austin, Texas, more than a billion of gallons of water, utility says

The meters, which detect leaks and provide daily water-use reports, are helping to build “a more sustainable water future for generations to come,” the city’s water chief says.

By Ryan Kushner • May 14, 2026

How AI is helping municipal clerks speed up public records reporting

In Long View, North Carolina, AI-powered “clerkware” has reduced transcription time from hours to minutes, reduced errors and improved public access to meeting minutes, the town clerk says.

By Stephanie Kanowitz • May 14, 2026

Public-sector AI translation has saved taxpayers more than $30 million, Wordly says

In San José, California, translation costs have dropped by nearly 80% and resident participation at public meetings has increased since the city began using the service, a city clerk said.

By Ryan Kushner • May 8, 2026

AI procurement tool evaluates local government contract solicitations before they’re sent

More than 60% of public agencies receive an average of only two to five bids per solicitation, according to Euna Solutions. Its AI Solicitation Advisor aims to help bolster those numbers.

By Ryan Kushner • May 6, 2026

State CISOs are losing confidence in their ability to secure public-sector data, study finds

Third-party security breaches, phishing and AI-enabled attacks are where they anticipate the largest cyberthreat risk in the coming year, a NASCIO-Deloitte survey found.

By Ryan Kushner • May 5, 2026

Mayors look to shape AI policy — and the technology itself — in new coalition

“Local governments must set the frameworks to shape the use and impacts of these technologies,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, a member of the global Mayors AI Forum.

By Ryan Kushner • May 1, 2026

AI is making cyberattacks on local governments easier than ever

A lack of guardrails in internal processes is making governments more vulnerable, a cybersecurity expert says.

By Ryan Kushner • April 23, 2026

ADA website accessibility compliance deadline extended 1 year for local governments

While many localities are well-positioned for the accessibility standards, some are still learning about them, an expert said.

By Ryan Kushner • April 22, 2026

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 Ryan Kushner • April 13, 2026

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 Robyn Griggs Lawrence • April 13, 2026

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

3 city AI policies to watch

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

By Ryan Kushner • April 9, 2026

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

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 Dan Zukowski • April 1, 2026

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 Ryan Kushner • March 31, 2026

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

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 Ryan Kushner • March 24, 2026

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 Ryan Kushner • March 20, 2026