Technology & Society
How connectivity, automation, and everyday technology are reshaping cities, work, and daily life.
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This Free Coding Program Just Went Nationwide
Google.org just spent $1.1 million so cash-strapped schools would not have to. Here is what a nationwide coding rollout means for your kid’s classroom, and your district’s budget.
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West Haven’s Noise Cameras Could Give Your Block Its Quiet Back
One Connecticut mayor says her shoreline gets more noise complaints than almost anything else. Four new sensors, bolted onto cameras the city already owns, aim to finally fix that without a big new price tag.
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Columbia’s $41.8 Million Bet on Smart Meters Could Cut Your Bill
A burst pipe used to mean a mystery bill a month later. Columbia just bet $41.8 million that smart meters can catch it the same day.
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Maine’s AI 911 Dispatch Tool Is Freeing Up Lines for Real Emergencies
Only six of Maine’s 22 dispatch centers are fully staffed, yet response times are improving instead of slipping. Here is the quiet fix making that possible, and what it could mean next time you dial 911.
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Peel Region’s Medical Drone Pilot Could Beat the Ambulance to Your Door
What if the difference between life and death came down to who arrives first, a paramedic or a drone? Bolton, Ontario is about to find out.
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Pittsburgh Cuts Home Permit Wait From Weeks to One Day
What if fixing your roof took as long as ordering a pizza? Pittsburgh just made that real for thousands of homeowners, and the ripple effects could reach the city’s 20,000 vacant homes.
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Jackson Hole’s AI Wildfire Detection Cameras Beat 911
A wildfire camera network cost one Wyoming county $82,632 this year. One prevented house fire would pay for it many times over.
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Busan’s AI Traffic Signals Cut Delays and Catch Floods Before You Do
Would you rather sit at a red light for an extra ten minutes, or find out too late that the road ahead is underwater? Busan just built a system that spares drivers both problems.
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Harvard’s Open Book Budget Tool Could Save Your Town Real Money
What happens when a town manager builds his own budget software because nobody else would? Thousands of underfunded towns are about to find out.
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PorchPing Civic Alert App Saves Panama City Residents Time
How much time does reading a 150-page city agenda take, hoping you did not miss the one line that affects you? Panama City just built an app that reads it for you.