Quote by Dennis Harward, Wizard of Light Bulb Moments, TownCloud
Dennis Harward has been a visionary leader in the development of local government software for more than 30 years. As founder of HTE, he led the company through the development of more than 50 successful applications for more than 1,000 customers. At TownCloud, Dennis is currently creating a new generation of cloud-based apps that incorporate citizen engagement and transparency. In addition to building successful government software, Dennis has also served on city council and on the Denver Regional Council of Governments.
Prediction
A new era of government technology has arrived. Entrepreneurs and investors have figured out that local governments represent an underserved market for new technologies. A recent presentation estimates the local government technology market at more than $110 billion. New technologies for local government are being developed at a feverish pace. At the 2018 ICMA Annual Conference in Baltimore, the exhibit hall was teeming with exciting new offerings. This process is long overdue. Governments have been neglected in terms of investment in advanced technologies for a long time. It’s definitely time for a change.
While the initial wave of new technology has been focused on point solutions to address specialized issues, the next round will focus on the replacement of aging legacy systems that are outdated and highly fragmented. The new products will provide unprecedented levels of integration, and they will be much easier to implement and use.
2019 Tip
It’s clear that 2019 will continue bring many new technologies to local governments. The key to success is integrating these products with existing systems so that they can provide maximum value to your organization.
Learn More
Visit the TownCloud website (towncloud.com).
Quote by: Kevin C. Desouza, Professor of Business, Technology and Strategy, Queensland University of Technology
Kevin, an ICMA 2018-19 Research Fellow, is a Nonresident Senior Fellow in the Governance Studies Program at the Brookings Institution and a Distinguished Research Fellow at the China Institute for Urban Governance at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He has held tenured faculty appointments at the University of Washington, Virginia Tech, and Arizona State University. In addition, he holds or has held visiting appointments at the London School of Economics and Political Science, Università Bocconi, University of the Witwatersrand, and the University of Ljubljana.
Prediction
The emergence of autonomous systems will enable smart communities to leverage data from a wide assortment of sensors embedded in physical artifacts and connected to humans through the application of predictive analytics and machine learning systems. Smart communities will truly become more intelligent through increased situational awareness of their environments, which will enable them to assess the impact of actions by organizations and individuals within their environments. They will exploit their real-time situational awareness to devise evidence-driven policy and processes; to experiment with novel innovations; and to advance the objectives of building livable, resilient, sustainable, and just communities. A smart community will build inclusive platforms to tap into the creative energies of its stakeholders to co-create, experiment, and implement creative technology-enabled solutions in a responsible manner that preserves public values while advancing the economic, cultural, and social vitality of its ethos.
2019 Tip
Embrace the digitization journey that we are on. Pay close attention to how emerging technologies are being designed and developed. Contribute to the conversations that are shaping the future of emerging technologies. Contribute to ongoing experiments and forums that allow you access to technology expertise and solutions to address wicked problems facing our communities. Open avenues for external expertise and perspectives on emerging technologies and urban innovation to seamlessly integrate with programs underway in your community. Do not fear ideas that are not designed in-house. Embrace the fact that the future of emerging technologies requires your perspective and input. Do not simply allow the technologist to design for you and make simplistic assumptions. And finally, as John Christopher Jones reminds us, "design everything on the assumption that people are not heartless or stupid but marvelously capable, given the chance.”
Learn More
Download these reports from ICMA: A Guide for Smart Communities, Smart Communities: Rethinking Infrastructure, and Smart Communities and Data Analytics. For more information about the contributor, visit Kevin’s website (www.kevindesouza.net).
Zencity is the platform for community trust purpose-built for government and ICMA’s Strategic Partner. By putting comprehensive and proactive community input tools, sophisticated analytics, and expert support at their fingertips, we empower government and public safety leaders with the data to make more confident, transparent and effective decisions that earn residents’ trust. More than 350 government agencies use Zencity every day, from Los Angeles, Chicago, and Harris County, TX to Greensboro, NC, Ft. Lauderdale, and DeLand, FL.
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Introducing Zencity 360
The platform for community trust. Understanding and engaging with your community is a complex challenge that requires a multi-model approach. With Zencity 360, we’ve created the most effective and comprehensive solution available: a suite of tools, all providing different methods of hearing, engaging and collaborating with residents to foster stronger community trust.
From Communications to Engagement – The Responsive City
In their paper, “The Responsive City Cycle,” Stephen Goldsmith and Betsy Gardner present a model of trust-building between local governments and their residents based on responsiveness.
