For many cities, Covid-19 was a catalyst for boosting their digital presence and shifting services online. Here’s what’s driving municipal technology’s much-needed reboot.
Cyd Harrell was driving through San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park on a chilly day in June 2011, when her seven-year-old daughter asked why the sprinklers were on. It was a waste of water, she said, and they had to do something.
“You can’t say no to your kid,” Harrell says. “But I had no idea at that time who I would call about that.”
So she tweeted the city’s 311 line, for reporting non-emergency situations. Shortly after, the sprinklers were turned off.
Bloomberg CityLab
By Jennah Haque
November 17, 2022