Technology is a driving force and this article brings in the need for engaging the resident, citizen and voter in local government. Smart roads, smart parking, smart lighting, smart towns and cities..... all are there for the people living, working and visiting.
I am reminded of the resident in Islington Council being able to report, online, a hole in the road. The council team in the lorry have the authority to get the materials and repair the hole that day meaning the resident sees quick action and is encouraged to participate again. Not exactly "smart city" innovation but a mix of technology, management and employee empowerment, plain common sense and progress.
Add together more and connected devices and people and you see smarter towns, cities and don't let's forget the rural villages , highways and byways.
Technology and citizens: Much will turn on whether and how cities and counties and the people they serve use sensors, data, networking and other technological infrastructure to become "smart" jurisdictions, and how they leverage that technology to better engage their residents. In Sweden and some parts of the United States, for example, local governments have successfully combined technology and resident engagement to forge a framework for change driven far more than ever before by citizen input.
http://www.govtech.com/dc/articles/4-Forces-Shaping-Local-Governments-Future.html
