The Responsive City

Urban government in the United States today is at a critical juncture. Never before over the last century has there been such a need to change the way city hall works. And never has there been such an opportunity to do it. From the Introduction Local and state governments are increasingly called on to solve real problems for their constituents and deliver critical services using limited resources. Yet the way in which local governments typically operate has created a wide gap between citizens expectations and results. The emergence and widespread adoption of new technologies among citizens and government has created a sea change as these new tools empower municipal leadership to explore new opportunities to help the public sector break out of its hierarchical and rule-driven structures and reinvent itself. The Responsive City: Engaging Communities Through Data-Smart Governance highlights the promising intersection of government and data through vivid case studies featuring municipal pioneers and big data success stories from Boston, Chicago, New York, and more. This is the ultimate resource for public officials, government staff, and civic leaders to understand how to leverage new technologies and data platforms to fulfill the promise of effective and efficient local government.