William Wallace, chairman of the Board of Directors for US Ignite, explains how cities can implement smart services that will meet the needs of citizens while addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing local governments.

HOW ARE CITIES RETHINKING THEIR USE OF SMART SOLUTIONS TO SERVE CITIZENS TODAY?

In light of the current pandemic, city leaders have reframed their views on smart services. People realize it is more important now than ever to have smart services available to meet citizens’ needs. Before, smart solutions were nice to have — now, they are essential. Citizens expect government systems to work fast, whether those systems are helping citizens sign up for vaccinations or improving trash collection.

Cities are prioritizing specific initiatives that can leverage smarter services. For example, some are deploying contact tracing tools to monitor interaction with infected populations. Others are using smart technology to create healthy public spaces — such as streetlights with optical sensors to assess crowd density to reinforce good social distance practices. Smart city solutions can also help reframe education in today’s virtual world, expanding e-learning opportunities.

HOW CAN CITIES ENSURE CITIZEN SUPPORT FOR NEW SMART SERVICES?

Cities need to engage the community whenever they want to provide service improvements. Some citizens fear that with smart services comes government surveillance. To build stakeholder support, city leaders need to assure citizens that they are building in multiple layers of privacy protection. They also need to make sure citizens understand from the start how the particular initiative will be helpful to them.

HOW CAN CITY LEADERS DEPLOY EFFECTIVE SMART SOLUTIONS WHEN THEY ARE WORKING WITH LIMITED BUDGETS?

Cities face tremendous pressure right now. Most expect to reduce some element of their services due to the economic fallout of the pandemic. City leaders are wrestling with this, and it has impacted their approach to smart city services.

Many cities are turning to smarter services that deliver very concrete benefits. Others are looking to solutions that address multiple use cases with a single platform. For example, a city might employ a smart streetlight to improve traffic control, as well as address safety issues. This kind of flexibility is increasingly important.

HOW CAN PARTNERSHIPS HELP CITIES PROVIDE MORE IMPACTFUL SMART SERVICES TO CITIZENS?

You never want to go on a smart city journey alone. Cities should work with multiple stakeholders, including businesses, citizens, city leaders and others who have a vested interest in how your city operates.

Many cities embrace public-private partnerships. For example, US Ignite has partnered with Spectrum Enterprise to address intractable problems within particular cities. Spectrum’s team can help a city collect the data necessary to address a particular problem. They work side by side with city officials to define their needs and implement practical solutions.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR CITY LEADERS WHO ARE JUST BEGINNING THEIR JOURNEY TO PROVIDE SMART SERVICES?

Make the leap of faith. It might feel intimidating before you get started, but know that these smart services really work and the people in your community will be pleased.

Also, make sure you have the foundation of a good network, and that your systems supporting the network are responsive and versatile. It is worth making the leap, because in the end, it is all for your citizens.