| TOP STORIES Acting Locally: 2019 Digital Cities Survey Results
This week, the Center for Digital Government, owned by Government Technology’s parent company e.Republic, released results in its 19th annual survey of the technology practices of local governments across the country. Winners are named in five population categories, distinguishing themselves by smart digital strategies that align with organizational goals and deliver efficient operations and accessible services to citizens. GT Staff Writer Patrick Groves spoke with the first-place winners, and editorial staff analyzed winning initiatives from each of the 57 jurisdictions that placed. Procurement Revisited
Can government procurement yield innovation? The latest jurisdiction to challenge conventions around traditional government purchasing processes is Carlsbad, Calif. The city of roughly 115,000 just issued a request for qualifications in the hopes of finding one or more partners that can help them transform their digital infrastructure. Their more open, challenge-based approach came together with the advice of City Innovate, which has its roots in the Startup in Residence program that kicked off in San Francisco in 2014.
Baltimore Recovery Continues
The city of Baltimore’s attempt to analyze and recover from their May ransomware attack pressed forward this week. A new Cybersecurity and Emergency Preparedness committee convened for the first time, aiming ultimately to author policy proposals that will fortify the city’s IT infrastructure, better protecting it in the future. Part of the effort is an in-depth examination of how city staff handled the May incident and its aftermath.
The End of Car-Centric Cities?
The basic framework of urban areas has been built around the automobile for decades. But a number of factors suggest that it might be time to rethink that. In this contributed commentary, Ashwini Chhabra from Bird, maker of electric scooters, suggests that the social costs of the status quo — in injuries and accidents as well as environmental impacts — are simply too great. Yes, he has a point of view based on where he works, but he also might just have a point.
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