If you pay attention to the headlines, you would think that, as a country and as a society, we have never been more divided. Because we are humans who crave the concept of clan, it is only natural to seek experiences that exemplify how we can come together.
Read MoreBig data is big business--The technology and services market is estimated to reach $58.9 billion in 2020, making today's fervor to collect, interpret and share or re-sell data reminiscent of the Gold Rush era. The challenge is that the massive amounts of data available are not linked nor do they ascribe to a standard format which means they can't be easily shared or interpreted. Incredible insights that can have profound impact are locked away in a cage of inefficiency. If you've ever tried to overlay the results of your own survey with publicly available data like the US Census, you'll understand the frustration.
Read MoreWhile the concept of making a smart city from the top down is intriguing and sexy as a marketing story, the reality is that it is hard, if not impossible, to align all the necessary stakeholders to transform a city in one fell swoop. Often cities focus on strategic pilot projects, allowing action to be taken quickly and success and failure evaluated rapidly to be able to build on what works in a cost and time-effective manner.
Read MoreThe terms innovation and city government don't often find their way into the same sentence. City hall has traditionally been perceived as a place for political log jams, procedures, policies and paperwork. But with the advent of smart cities, all of that is beginning to change.
Read MoreWe used to live in silos where the role of certain sectors was clear. Companies provided products and services to generate a profit. Nonprofits and NGOs performed selfless act to save the world. Cities silently made the world run in ways that most of us never even noticed. With the advent of smart cities, things look quite different. Cities are now at the epicenter of the technology evolution with the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT), big data and connected technology.
Read MoreThe data confirms it: Cities are the way of the future. As the years go by, more and more people are choosing to leave behind their suburban and rural lives in search of greater urban opportunities.
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