Commentaries

Commentaries are contributed, non-commercial and educational articles that subject matter experts write for American City & County. If you would like to submit an exclusive commentary, click here to view our guidelines.

Highlights

New research underscores upside of modernizing local government technology

As in the private sector, the wheels of city and local governments are powered increasingly by...

Can street lights provide a solution when it comes to rural broadband connectivity?

The pandemic gave many Americans the opportunity to work remotely from home during the lockdown....

Key power backup solutions for the active storm season ahead

While Disney’s Frozen Princess Elsa could conjure up ice and snow, the hurricane sharing her...

Commentary

Can this new technology make planting trees an affordable way for cities to clean-up contaminated sites?

Cleaning up contaminated sites can get messy for municipalities. Local governments are constantly struggling with industrial contamination sites and how to appropriately—and affordably—clean up the land. Even when these pollutants fall on private land, the public agencies with oversight still bear the negative effects as that contaminated land could stymie future development for years. These […]

Commentary

Cybersecurity questions every local government should ask its vendors

Recently, I took my kids to a Cubs game at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. In the front of our section there was a fan dressed in the opposing team’s gear. I’ll call him “Steve.” Multiple times each inning, Steve would stand, turn to the section and tauntingly gesture like an umpire when events of the game […]

Commentary

As the workforce emerges from a year online, telework can be leveraged for talent retention

With much of the government sector returning to an office following a year of remote work, municipal employees are rethinking priorities and reconsidering what they’d like that office environment to look like. Among the concrete recommendations that municipal employers can take to entice talent moving forward, flexible work hours and remote work opportunities rank high, according to […]

Commentary

Defending and understanding city and county digital infrastructure—Congress takes a serious look

The invite that came out of the blue that was both surprising as it was timely. I was invited to testify before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform’s Subcommittee on Government Operations. Joining me were key representatives from NASCIO, Code for America, and the Center for Digital Government—four of us in all. The […]

Commentary

The Kansas Transportation System moves to modernize its transportation infrastructure

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is beginning an innovative program to maintain and modernize the state’s transportation infrastructure over the next 10 years. The Eisenhower Legacy Transportation (IKE) Program is focused on flexible and responsive investments to meet the shifting needs of residents, address safety concerns and keep pace with the accelerating rate of […]

Commentary

Three ways city leaders can work locally to fuel the talent pipeline in cybersecurity

The demand for talent in the cybersecurity sector is growing at an exceptional rate after 2020 broke records in terms of data lost in breaches and the number of cyberattacks on companies and government agencies. According to Cybersecurity Ventures’ 2019/2020 Cybersecurity Jobs Report, the world is bracing for 3.5 million unfilled positions in the industry […]

Commentary

Fiber broadband: Success in the city

Measuring success requires at the very least, planning, but also an evaluation of five key points: schedule, quality, cost, stakeholder satisfaction and performance against the business case. So, when a fiber broadband project, with mayoral and community support, to deliver the best quality high-speed internet access is born, it is no exception to the criteria […]

Commentary

Two local governments harness the power of process automation and the cloud to streamline CARES Act fund distribution

As we emerge from the pandemic, we’re learning more and more about how resilient local governments can be in their response to COVID-19 and changing needs. It is not a stretch to suggest that government employees were faced with the most difficult challenge of their careers, and without digital tools, the task of serving their […]

Commentary

What blockchain technology means for local city administrators

Over the last decade, cryptocurrency has evolved from a fringe millennialist hobby and conversational ice-breaker to a daily reality of modern-day life. The implications of emerging digital currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum—which exist via a transaction tracking technology known as blockchain—are sweeping, affecting everything from private purchases to the way local governments conduct business. Bitcoin, in particular, made national headlines a few weeks ago when the FBI was able to digitally […]

Commentary

Cities can make energy efficiency programs green and equitable

New resource for incorporating equity into energy benchmarking policies for buildings In recent years, cities have taken the lead in the fight against climate change. Many have passed benchmarking and transparency ordinances as a foundational step to measure—and reduce—the amount of energy buildings use. Now, with renewed federal action on climate, cities will have more […]

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Commentaries

Commentaries are contributed, non-commercial and educational articles that subject matter experts write for American City & County. If you would like to submit an exclusive commentary, click here to view our guidelines.

Highlights

New research underscores upside of modernizing local government technology

Can street lights provide a solution when it comes to rural broadband connectivity?

Key power backup solutions for the active storm season ahead

Commentary

Can this new technology make planting trees an affordable way for cities to clean-up contaminated sites?

Commentary

Cybersecurity questions every local government should ask its vendors

Commentary

As the workforce emerges from a year online, telework can be leveraged for talent retention

Commentary

Defending and understanding city and county digital infrastructure—Congress takes a serious look

Commentary

The Kansas Transportation System moves to modernize its transportation infrastructure

Commentary

Three ways city leaders can work locally to fuel the talent pipeline in cybersecurity

Commentary

Fiber broadband: Success in the city

Commentary

Two local governments harness the power of process automation and the cloud to streamline CARES Act fund distribution

Commentary

What blockchain technology means for local city administrators

Commentary

Cities can make energy efficiency programs green and equitable

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