@datasmartcities.bsky.social
Highlighting cities solving problems and engaging communities with data. Directed by Stephen Goldsmith @goldsmithongov.bsky.social at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University. Listen: #DataSmartCityPod https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/
"If I'm ordering something off of Amazon, I don't care which department does what, I just want my shoes on my porch by tomorrow afternoon. So that's the kind of expectation users have when they're interacting with government." Suma Nallapati
https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/personalizing-denver-ai
"Singaporeโs success shows how investing in in-house technical capacity can create a more coherent, coordinated digital infrastructure."
Check out our new piece by @goldsmithongov.bsky.social and Juncheng "Tony" Yang: datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/boosting-dig...
Not sure where to start to unlock the productivity of your team in order to be more responsive to your residents? Check out the advice Brian Elms shares with Stephen Goldsmith on the #DataSmartCityPod ๐ง
https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/ai-agents-peak-brian-elms
What if your city's data is missing an entire perspective? ๐
New research on smart city equity shows that when resident 311 reports meet computer vision data, the two systems see almost entirely different problems: less than 10% overlap.
Neither is wrong, just different.๐ https://ow.ly/939J50XXmLy
Today's episode of the #DataSmartCityPod features Suma Nallapati, Denver's CAIO.
Nallapati and host Stephen Goldsmith discuss:
๐Sunny the AI-powered chatbot
๐Freeing employees from tedious paperwork
๐งฐHow #AI is just one tool in a bigger toolbox
datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/personalizin...
"The mid-level management...is one of the hardest jobs to be in, you get pressure from the people below you and you get a ton of pressure from the people above you....[knowing] how to calm those two pressure valves is a tremendous asset." https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/ai-agents-peak-brian-elms
28.01.2026 13:30 โ ๐ 0 ๐ 0 ๐ฌ 0 ๐ 0Congrats to our colleagues at the Center on the Developing Child! They recently hosted an Extreme Heat & Early Childhood roundtable in Baltimore, exploring actions that align w/ the city goal of reducing infant mortality. ow.ly/Zulp50Y1mjG
Learn more about our joint partnership: ow.ly/1gmE50Y1mib
New research shows only 7.9% overlap between neighborhood 311 reports & computer vision detections. Residents see acute daily problems. Algorithms see technical deterioration. Together they reveal a new equity dimension. https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/residents-algorithms-see-different-problems
22.01.2026 11:40 โ ๐ 0 ๐ 0 ๐ฌ 0 ๐ 0
We have Brian Elms on the #DataSmartCityPod!
Hear directly from the former director of the @cityofdenver.bsky.social's famous Peak Academy, a program that host @goldsmithongov.bsky.social considers one of the most effective initiatives in government. datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/ai-agents-pe...
3/๐งต
This has implications far beyond potholes: think air quality, extreme heat, or any diffuse urban health challenge where harms are invisible in day-to-day experience.
Who gets heardโand who stays invisibleโis a question of equity.
Full article: datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/residents-al...
2/ ๐งต
๐: Residents and algorithms are looking at fundamentally different problems.
โ๏ธ: 311 data can show biased inputs, but algorithms are disconnected from residents' lived experiences.
๐ก: Neither reactive resident reporting nor systematic monitoring is sufficient alone.
1/๐งต New research from @khahlil.bsky.social compares 187,000+ 311 reports with 4,856 pavement defects detected by Cyvl computer vision, uncovering a critical challenge for cities, & an opportunity to use technology to complement civic inputs. datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/residents-al...
15.01.2026 17:13 โ ๐ 0 ๐ 0 ๐ฌ 0 ๐ 1Can historical data help identify & prepare for days w/ a high likelihood of asthma attacks?
See how the Houston Health Department is helping at-risk residents by sending messages that alert them to days w/ a higher risk of asthma attacks.
https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/local-tools-healthy-air
"The city officials have lots of data and very little context, and the community has a lot of context and very little access to the data; put them together, we should have a better solution." Stephen Goldsmith on the #DataSmartCityPod https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/rethinking-gov-2026
07.01.2026 11:30 โ ๐ 0 ๐ 0 ๐ฌ 0 ๐ 0We'd love to hear from you! ๐๐bit.ly/datasmartpod
Please check out our listener survey for the #DataSmartCityPod and take a couple minutes to let us know what you like, who you want to hear, and how we can bring you an even better podcast in 2026 โก
โWhen it comes to children and the effects of air pollution, the timing really matters.โ
See how cities are meeting this challenge head-on, even with limited federal funding, to protect communities. https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/local-tools-healthy-air
"These digital tools can't be cute things that we use on top of a legacy government. We need to change the legacy government dramatically..." Stephen Goldsmith on the #DataSmartCityPod https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/rethinking-gov-2026
23.12.2025 20:10 โ ๐ 0 ๐ 0 ๐ฌ 0 ๐ 0
We're sharing 3 key takeaways from our recent Community Data Health Initiative's Air Quality Learning Cohort meeting! datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/local-tools-...
Participants came together to share how local leaders are leveraging existing power and innovative mechanisms to protect residents.
As we close out 2025, we're sharing our most popular articles and episodes from the last year. datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/the-top-ten-...
We're honored to serve as the central resources for city leaders, especially during challenging times, as these are also moments of great promise and potential.
โBuildings form the foundations of cities, and how well the buildings perform will determine how well a city performs.โ
https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/indoor-air-mayors
New EOY ep! @goldsmithongov.bsky.social talks 2025's most promising advancements & how cities can harness tools like GenAI for real change in 2026. He also shares his hopes for next year: difficulties ahead, but also the potential for groundbreaking change. datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/rethinking-g...
17.12.2025 18:50 โ ๐ 0 ๐ 0 ๐ฌ 0 ๐ 0
ICYMI @goldsmithongov.bsky.social wrote about how new technologies like #GenAI are shaping the future of parks and recreation!
datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/shaping-futu...
Most air pollution exposure happens indoors, not outside - and kids in older, underfunded schools pay the price. datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/indoor-air-m...
Local leaders can support better ventilation, filtration, & monitoring to protect health & support learning.
#IndoorAirQuality #HealthySchool
โGood data practices lead to accessible data,โ Keegan Clifford, GIS Coordinator, Montgomery Parks https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/digital-accessibility-mont-parks
10.12.2025 16:10 โ ๐ 0 ๐ 0 ๐ฌ 0 ๐ 0โPreviously, only one person could review physical plans at a time; now all 10 team members can review the digital submission simultaneously.โ Michael Shannon, city of San Antonio
https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/san-antonio-permitting-service
Traditional public meetings often generate more heat than light. So what does real community engagement look like in an #AI era? Listen to Carrie Bishop and Rochelle Haynes talk all things data, GenAI, and community engagement ๐ https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/city-leadership-ai-era
03.12.2025 14:25 โ ๐ 0 ๐ 0 ๐ฌ 0 ๐ 0
"For mayors who are leading on this agenda, what we're seeing is a real recognition that this is a leadership issue. It's not just a data nerds in the corner issue. It's actually fundamental to how a city operates in the modern era." #GenAI https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/city-leadership-ai-era
26.11.2025 13:25 โ ๐ 1 ๐ 0 ๐ฌ 0 ๐ 0
โWhen you build your data, think about accessibility.โ Keegan Clifford, GIS Coordinator, Montgomery Parks https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/digital-accessibility-mont-parks
26.11.2025 12:10 โ ๐ 0 ๐ 0 ๐ฌ 0 ๐ 0
ICYMI: the value of public service and a new @harvardkennedy.bsky.social opportunity #AmericanServiceFellowship datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/recognition-...
by @goldsmithongov.bsky.social
What happens when a city replaces paper-based permitting & inspections with a streamlined digital system?
In San Antonio it meant faster results, happier residents, & a model for other cities. https://datasmart.hks.harvard.edu/san-antonio-permitting-service
#PublicSector #DigitalTransformation
