Government Technology

Data
–
driven innovations offer enormous opportunities to
advance important societal goals. However, to take
advantage of these opportunities, individuals must have
access to
high
–
quality
data about themselves and their
communities.

Green thinking was everywhere. Some lights were powered by solar panels, others by tiny windmills. There were lamp posts with batteries, some underground and others aboveground. Along one bike path, the lights were dim until sensors picked up the presence of a jogger — the lights brightened in sequence following the runner down the path, then dimmed again to save energy once he had passed.

These metrics, not just which neighborhoods are best organized or outspoken, will influence neighborhood improvement strategies over time.

"Government moving at the speed of business."

The new data hub is intended to put real-time data — on everything from traffic fatalities to meth busts to infant mortality — at the fingertips of policymakers.

Yearly tax revenues and expenditures are on display for all cities and counties with the launch of the state’s new interactive portal.

Tim Wu believes New York’s lieutenant governor could be a new kind of public advocate, someone who illuminates problems facing the state. Here are two of his favorites: Corruption and, none-too-surprisingly, the planned merger of Time Warner and Comcast, which could significantly affect the future of net neutrality.

Civic data innovation efforts–that is, efforts that expand the use of data to improve people’s lives–are becoming increasingly common in cities across the country. Yet these efforts are often happening piecemeal, and too often operate as isolated parts rather than an interconnected whole.

It’s unanimous. Every city wants to be innovative. But the word’s ambiguity leaves it open to many interpretations, incantations and applications.

What happens when you consolidate the IT shops from five different state agencies into one new department?