Although cities are looking to technology to help them better connect to their residents, get them involved in decision making, and share data, Silicon Valley has been slow to catch on. Emily Badger looks at one company trying to change this.
Anyone who's walked the exhibition hall at a recent APA conference may quibble with Badger's assertion that, "there aren't many companies out there selling modern web services to cities." However, seeing a gap in knowledge and enthusiasm amongst investors and entrepreneurs, the San Francisco-based non-profit Code for America is taking following the lead of their neighbors in Silicon Valley by launching an accelerator for civic technology start-ups this summer.
The hope for the accelerator, which has received funding from Google and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, is "that this new industry can change the way you interact with local government in the same way that earlier tech start-ups have changed what's possible on the Internet."
"Our goals in thinking about this aren't in the one or two-year time
frame," says Abhi Nemani, Code for America's director of strategy and communications. "We're going to probably see some cool companies
come out of the first class. But this really is about a five to ten year
goal getting investors excited, getting entrepreneurs excited, getting
cities excited, getting this whole thing to work the way other markets
work."
FULL STORY: The Next Big Start-Up Wave: Civic Technology
Lessons from the Smart Columbus Pilot Program
The former program manager for Smart Columbus discusses the successes, challenges, and unexpected opportunities encountered by the city as it worked to integrate technology into city services and programs.
'A City is Not a Computer:' Why 'Smart Cities' Fail
The 'smart city' concept fails to take into account the necessary slowness of democracy and the unpredictability of a city's human inhabitants.
The Good and the Bad of Planning Websites
Students review municipal planning department websites in cities with more than 50,000 people to identify strengths and weaknesses. This post shares examples of the use of websites for information sharing and engagement.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research