https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
Banking Technology
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Expert Insights
    • Back
    • Expert Insights
    • Commentaries
    • Smart Cities Council
    • Co-op Solutions
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • American City & County Awards
    • Events
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Expert Insights
    • Back
    • Commentaries
    • Smart Cities Council
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • American City & County Awards
    • Events
    • Municipal Cost Index
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • Subscribe to AC&C
    • Manage AC&C Subscription
    • Subscribe to GovPro
    • Manage GovPro Subscription
    • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
acc.com

Smart Cities & Technology


Article

Partnering with tech companies lets cities serve citizens better

Partnering with tech companies lets cities serve citizens better

Cities across the U.S. are fostering relationships with tech companies to better serve their residents.
  • Written by Jason Axelrod
  • 20th December 2016

Cities across the U.S. are fostering relationships with tech companies to better serve their residents. 

Las Vegas is broadening the ways in which their residents can access and learn about city services by building an application for the Amazon Echo, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. The Echo, which sells for about $180, serves as an audio speaker, utility controller, virtual personal assistant and app platform for the home by connecting with Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service. 

The app that the city’s IT department is building will eventually let residents pay bills and fees, check bill balances, check the status of applications and permits and get more information on city services and officials, the Review-Journal reports. The application, which will allow citizens to create a profile on the city’s website and customize how they interact with Alexa through the app, is expected to be completed in 2017. 

There are also plans for the application to be used internally, for purposes including human resources functions and budget information.

“We are forging way ahead of most cities, even cities that have more resources than we do,” Las Vegas Development Services Systems Manager Rick Virmani told the Review-Journal.

Meanwhile, Coral Gables, Fla. has partnered with Uber to create a promotional campaign for getting citizens to use the riding service instead of fighting to get through traffic and finding parking, the Miami Herald reports. The campaign will also aim to get more people to visit the city’s Miracle Mile road stretch, which runs through the city’s central business district.

Coral Gables’ Uber campaign will include designated drop-off and pick-up zones for Uber and the company’s food delivery service UberEats as well as promo codes for city events, the Herald reports. 

“Anything we can do to make our city user-friendly and bring people here in a safe manner,” Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce President Mark Trowbridge told the Herald. “We all know the places that are impacted by having an Uber alternative or transit alternative do better for business.”

Social navigation app Waze has instituted a partnership program called the Connected Citizens program, which allows partners to receive incident and traffic information as well as reroute Waze users around incidents faster, per the app’s website. The Waze app is a navigation app that allows its users to submit information on road hazards, traffic, incidents and delays in real time. Many cities such as San Diego, Asheville, N.C. and Fort Worth, Texas opted into the program this year, according to various news sources. 

Johns Creek, Ga. partnered with Waze in August 2015, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In November however, the partnership expanded such that it became the first city to share real-time business location data with the app. The data is derived from business license applications and renewals at not cost to the city.

“If you search for a place to eat or shop in an app on your phone, you’re most likely searching by the name of the business and not a specific address,” Johns Creek’s Senior GIS Manager Nick O’Day told the Journal-Constitution. “By sharing business information to Waze with the business name tied to a latitude and longitude, it makes the experience faster and easier.”

_____________

To get connected and stay up-to-date with similar content from American City & County:
Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
Watch us on YouTube

Tags: Administration News Smart Cities & Technology Article

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

White Papers


What is Your Plan for Cybersecurity?

5th February 2019

5 Best Practices for Utilizing GIS Data

5th February 2019

City of Stamford Saves $1-Million Via Car Sharing

1st February 2019
view all

Events


Twitter


AmerCityCounty

A new #report ranks the 52 American #metropolitan areas with over 1 million residents based on their… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

14th February 2019
AmerCityCounty

Today, we announced the six winners of American #City & #County's 2018 Crown Communities awards! Congratulations to… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

12th February 2019
AmerCityCounty

The @CityOfNOLA #CityCouncil is calling for the @NFL to review its rules after the @Saints lost the… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

29th January 2019
AmerCityCounty

Is your #city among #UHaul's top 25 #GrowthCities for 2018? buff.ly/2S8hptr https://t.co/rI4x0Lcdql

25th January 2019
AmerCityCounty

The personal information for approximately 1,470 #Knoxville, Tenn. #government employees was inadvertently posted o… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

25th January 2019
AmerCityCounty

““Seconded” staffers, or temporary #procurement professionals at #DallasAreaRapidTransit handle varying heavy workl… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

23rd January 2019
AmerCityCounty

As the longest #GovernmentShutdown in U.S. history continues with no sign of abating, city governments are stepping… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

15th January 2019
AmerCityCounty

Florida Governor @RonDeSantisFL formally suspended #BrowardCounty, Fla. Sheriff Scott Israel on Jan. 11, following… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

15th January 2019

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Expert Insights

Learn from experts in the public and private sectors about best practices and how to optimize your government’s operations.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

American City and County

© American City and County 2019. All rights reserved.

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Cookies Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service

Related Links

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

Follow us

Websites are now required by law to gain your consent before applying cookies. We use cookies to improve your browsing experience. Parts of the website may not work as expected without them. By closing or ignoring this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
X