https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE Expo
    • Calendar of Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Smart Cities & Technology


Sponsored

Mobile Apps Get Cities Up and Flowing

Mobile Apps Get Cities Up and Flowing

“Recalculating route” is a phrase that most anyone associates with the mobile intelligence that gets them from here to there. But to a smart community, mobile intelligence is more– it’s essential information that helps people, goods, and services efficiently flow through the city
  • Written by jaredar
  • 7th July 2017

 “Recalculating route” is a phrase that most anyone associates with the mobile intelligence that gets them from here to there. But to a smart community, mobile intelligence is more– it’s essential information that helps people, goods, and services efficiently flow through the city. It’s also a fundamental information source during emergencies.

Mobile intelligence is a part of a larger location intelligence system called a geographic information system (GIS) that smart cities are adopting to make their communities more efficient and livable. It manages vast amounts of location data from people, sensors, and other sources, brings it together, and transforms it into useful information. GIS helps managers and residents alike understand what the city is like and where improvements can be made. 

GIS mobile accesses GIS location information and delivers it to the field. All anyone needs is a smart device, such as a smart tablet or phone, and a GIS web app. What do workers do with the information?  For one, navigation apps efficiently route workers from call to call throughout the day. Asset apps show them the parts they will need for a repair they will be doing. At a construction site, an inspector can use a data collector app to complete forms, tag photos and video, and capture gps coordinates. These apps send data back to the office, add it to the database, and map it.

Residents also use mobile apps. The city of Los Angeles, Calif., created the Street Wize mobile app to map street excavations, improvement projects, and so forth. Residents use their phones to see what projects are around them and when they will be completed. The city’s most popular mobile app shows residents where to find parking spots. 

During a disaster, GIS situational awareness maps help police, crisis responders, and other public safety staff to protect lives and property. A bombing at the 2013 Boston Marathon prompted the City of Boston to make deeper investments in its disaster response strategy, including location intelligence. The command center uses GIS to track unfolding events in real time as well as live operations information. Police, fire, and emergency medical personnel can use mobile devices to see the same operational maps used at headquarters and simultaneously receive situational updates that help them make on-the-spot decisions. 

Simple goals for going mobile

Smart cities use technology platforms to connect departments, share information, and coordinate services. GIS mobile technology plays a significant role in community connectivity.    

Esri, the world leader in GIS technology and spatial analytics, has developed a framework on which smart cities grow connections and generate intelligence necessary for a thriving community. The Esri ArcGIS platform helps thousands of local governments design their communities to flourish long into the future.

Here are four simple goals for successfully deploying GIS in the community:

  • Enable crews to collect data. Field crews use ArcGIS apps to gather information via a smart device. The data they collect is automatically sent back to the office. This saves time and reduces errors and paperwork.
  • Enrich and analyze field data. Use ArcGIS to expose patterns in the data. ArcGIS helps you make better decisions based on real data.
  • Create a view of field operations. Use the ArcGIS dashboard to see field work via a real-time map.
  • Show residents what is going on. Residents want to know what their government is doing and how they are affected. A map tells a clearer, stronger, faster story than tables and charts. People can make sense of information displayed on maps quickly. ArcGIS mapping capabilities include tools for sharing your work.

A good follow-up resource about GIS mobile is the Esri Smart City Guide. Check it out at esri.com/smart-communities.

MapImage: LAGEOHUB_StreetWize_App2(002).png  caption: Los Angeles mobile app Street Wize keeps residents in the know about road projects are and how long they will take to complete.

Photo:  LosAngeles_AS_6045469

Tags: Smart Cities & Technology Sponsored

Most Recent


  • artificial intelligence
    Artificial intelligence for cities and counties
    It appears that artificial intelligence (AI) is everything, everywhere and in every product the vendor community would have us buy. However, despite the hype, few dismiss it as just another high-tech fad. Indeed, some believe it is the third (or fourth) wave, depending on how one is counting in the ever-evolving digital age. As early […]
  • dashboards
    Dashboards and software help simplify financial funding and reporting for cities and counties
    Governments are streamlining management of federal funds through technology, says Mike Bell, CEO of Envisio, which provides public dashboards, analytics and performance management software. About 150 local government, education and nonprofit organizations use his firm’s solutions to manage their strategic plans, improve performance and report on results. Envisio is helping local government agencies to satisfy […]
  • traffic
    Reimagining how cities can leverage holistic platforms for urban mobility solutions
    When it comes to designing transit and transportation solutions that reduce traffic congestion and improve on-time arrival rates, we seem to have a problem. It seems we are focused on all the wrong things. It’s not all about building a better vehicle, or the technology that is used inside the vehicle. And it’s not about […]
  • data
    Data: Your most overlooked asset
    If asked to think of a community’s most important assets, many would likely start by naming road networks, bridges, buildings, or possibly even transit and sanitary systems. But would data ever come to mind? As the foundation of everything, data is a vital asset—especially for public sector organizations. In order to have confidence in the […]

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 *

Related Content

  • North Texas alliance partners with Marketplace.city on smart government solutions
  • Harris County deploys next-generation security in 150 public buildings
  • Prioritizing rapid restore leads to stronger ransomware attack recovery
  • Today’s infrastructure needs greater than roads and bridges - It’s time to face our digital connectiveness

White papers


7 Resources to Level-up Your Federal Grants Administration and Compliance

5th September 2023

Elevator Phone Line Replacement Strategy | A Guide to Reliable, Code-Compliant Solutions

29th August 2023

2023 State of Public Sourcing Report: The Bright Future of Public Procurement

23rd August 2023
view all

Webinars


Grant Preparedness: Unlocking Funding Opportunities for Your Success

10th August 2023

2023 State of Public Sourcing: Taking Local Governments into a Bright Future

1st August 2023

Stop Playing with Fire: How to Manage Infrastructure Asset Risk So You Know You’re Covered

20th June 2023
view all

PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


Gallery: Hottest temperatures recorded in American cities during July

12th September 2023

The top 10 Asthma Capitals for 2023

7th September 2023

U.S. cities with the cleanest air from latest “State of the Air” report

5th September 2023
view all

Twitter


Newsletters

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

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

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 audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.