If Only One U.S. City Wins the Smart City Race, the Whole Nation Loses

Many governments around the world are working diligently to build smart cities—those that use sensors, data and analytics to tackle important urban issues such as how to better manage sanitation systems, improve transportation networks and deliver government services more efficiently. Unfortunately the United States has woefully underinvested in smart city efforts compared to other leading countries. To address this shortcoming, federal, state, and local governments should come together to create a new stream of funding for U.S. cities to increase investment in the digital infrastructure they need to ensure they are modern, sustainable, and competitive, writes Daniel Castro in Government Technology.