We read so often — including in these Opinion pages — about how divided Americans are. It can be dispiriting (for us, too). But then we read about a program like Love Your Block and the young adults spending a year volunteering to help people make their communities better, and our hearts lift.

A new study estimates that a citywide plan to limit cars and capture nearly 70 percent of street space for bikes and pedestrians could save 667 lives per year.

One of the crucial first steps to creating a local government that works for residents is for cities to publish their information and data for anyone to access, but the truth is that open datasets…

How children’s literature is explaining environmental crisis to young readers.

The virtual gamespace has often promised to provide an arena in which to explore radical urban scenarios, but a growing number of indie games are finally beginning to realise this potential.

“Journalists do a lot of hand-wringing about what is or isn’t journalism or who is or isn’t a journalist,” Rispoli said. “That is completely missing the point. What we need to focus on is, ‘Do…

Denver’s East Central Planning Area contains a rich mix of amenities, jobs, and housing options, and remains one of the most dynamic places in the city. The area’s outdated neighborhood plans coupled with additional changes on the horizon—including plans to improve City Park and add Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)—make East Central a top priority for engaging the community in a new plan. The City needed a way to share the poster boards from the in-person open houses and collect community feedback on them online.

Plus, 10 cities form an innovation cohort that is looking for startup collaborators; Code for America evaluates public benefits applications across all 50 states; Virginia digitizes occupational licensing; and more.

Bang the Table and Balancing Act are selling their software together, offering local government customers a platform to get citizens involved with detailed, do-it-at-home budget simulations.

Do you know what’s trending on social? Has your boss ever asked you to make something go viral? Ever wonder what will happen if you block that pesky troll? How much time should you be spending listening instead of posting? Are ‘stories’ really the way of the future?

Introducing the series Digital Frictions. What happens when the “smart city” encounters other forms of urban intelligence?

In November 2018, the Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN) held its second convening of the civic tech community — an activity now honourably dubbed the annual Civic Tech Innovation Forum (CTIF)…

From ancient Rome to modern Atlanta, the shape of cities has been defined by the technologies that allow commuters to get to work in about 30 minutes.

What is a smart city and what is the best strategic approach for cities? Explore the smart city definition and evolution of the concept and its relevance.

Govtech has the potential to transform public services through the application of technology, to the benefit of service providers and citizens alike. This might include anything from better, smarter, more efficient transport systems, to greener more eco-friendly streets, to more accessible healthcare. In order to truly transform society, we need to transform government procurement policy and working practices

A firsthand look at connected technology in China, which despite the two countries’ vastly different political structures is developing along much the same path as it is in U.S. states and localities.

I asked my daughter a simple question on the way to school one morning. Her response gave a valuable kids-eye-view of the neighborhood…both as it is and as it could be.

The city government is studying pedestrian-cyclist conflicts as some residents complain of "antisocial" cyclist behavior and a lack of enforcement.

User-centered design is critical for meetings—from the front lines to C-suite. How might we host more hands-on learning sessions and experience exchanges to improve and customize the way the federal workforce communicates to diverse stakeholders?

As a result, pop-up-driven customer-experience elements—engaging, flexible, and multifunctional—are weaving their way into all market sectors and public institutions. Companies are also using the ethos of the test-and-learn model to create a framework to continually adapt their spaces to allow for rapid response to user needs and feedback.

OpenStreetMap of Kenya Kenya is well known for its innovation in technology, particularly mobile technology in cash transfers. These innovations have largely been championed by the private sector and young entrepreneurs. 

The U.S. Luminate team turned to Dalberg to identify and analyze trends and lessons from the last decade of U.S. civic tech. We hope the findings will inform not only our work going forward, but also that of our partners and co-investors.

Plus, Code for Philly preps for month-long civic tech event; Maryland-based nonprofit creates mobile learning labs from old shipping containers; and Illinois is recruiting a chief data officer.

How BetaNYC builds the tools community boards need for the 21st century.

As open government and civic tech movements seek to understand how our work affects social inequalities, organizations and their leaders will need more nuanced and explicit ways to communicate how government reforms that use tech and data can generate impact.