ProGov21 Policy Library

Making Smart Decisions About Smart Cities

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2017

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source American Civil Liberties Union of California

Policy Areas Finance & Procurement, Data & Technology

“Smart city” products are often touted as cost-efficient solutions to providing government services and addressing societal challenges, but in reality these technologies are no more intelligent than the data and algorithms behind them. Like other tools, their effectiveness depends...

Cities and the Metaverse

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2022

Level City or Town, National

State(s) All States

Source National League of Cities

Policy Areas Community Development, Data & Technology, Democracy & Governance

This report examines the metaverse, and its transformative potential in urban experiences through technologies like blockchain, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR). It highlights how these tools can enhance government operations, urban planning, tourism, and public services,...

Preventing Surveillance Cities: Developing a Set of Fundamental Privacy Provisions

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town, State

State(s) All States

Source Journal of Science Policy & Governance

Policy Areas Public Safety, Data & Technology

This report explores five privacy provisions to mitigate the harms associated with exploiting smart city-data. The policy proposals include differentiating personally identifiable smart city data from de-identified data, creating a warrant requirement for personally identifiable smart...

Austin’s Big Secret: How Big Tech and Surveillance Are Increasing Policing

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level City or Town

State(s) Texas

Source Mijente

Policy Areas Civil Rights, Data & Technology

This brief examines the relationship between tech companies, city projects, and increases in policing and surveillance of Austin residents. It begins by analyzing local policing initiatives like the Austin Regional Intelligence Center and noting contracts held by local law enforcement...

Balancing Privacy and Innovation in Smart Cities and Communities

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2023

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Information Technology & Innovation Foundation

Policy Areas Data & Technology, Democracy & Governance

While smart city technologies hold promise for improving public services and residents' quality of life, they also raise legitimate concerns about data collection and privacy. This report stresses the need to monitor cybersecurity risks, the commercial use of data, and potential government...

Data De-identification

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year 2012

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Privacy Technical Assistance Center

Policy Areas Data & Technology, Democracy & Governance

Data de-identification is the process of modifying or removing personally identifiable information from datasets in a way that minimizes the risk of unintended disclosure of individuals' identities. The paper defines terms such as anonymization, blurring, de-identification, disclosure,...

How Local Providers Built the Nation’s Best Internet Access in Rural North Dakota

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level City or Town, State

State(s) North Dakota

Source Institute of Local Self-Reliance

Policy Areas Community Development, Data & Technology

Rural North Dakota has some of the greatest internet connectivity in the country. In fact, according to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) data, rural North Dakotans are more likely to have access to gigabit speeds and fiber broadband than the state’s urban residents—even more...

Algorithm-Driven Hiring Tools: Innovative Recruitment or Expedited Disability Discrimination

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level City or Town, State, National

State(s) All States

Source Center for Democracy & Technology

Policy Areas Civil Rights, Data & Technology

Employers use algorithm-driven hiring tools as a fast and efficient way to process job applications in large numbers. Job-seekers are increasingly asked to record videos (that employers mine for facial and vocal cues), complete online tests (that are used to evaluate their optimism...

How National Governments Can Help Smart Cities Succeed

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2017

Level City or Town, National

State(s) All States

Source Center for Data Innovation

Policy Areas Data & Technology

Smart cities are those that use sensors, data, and analytics to tackle important issues such as how to better manage sanitation systems, improve transportation networks, and deliver government services more efficiently. While city governments can and should manage most of their transformation...

2021 Madison Ordinance 67061 Common Council Meetings

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2021

Level City or Town

State(s) Wisconsin

Source The Common Council of the City of Madison

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance

This ordinance clarifies the process for designating a location and the means of conducting individual Common Council Meetings. Specifically, it allows for Common Council settings to be held in-person, over the phone, or online based upon a determination of the Mayor and Council President....

Guidelines for Respecting the Rights of Individuals on Electronic Monitors

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Media Justice

Policy Areas Data & Technology, Public Safety

This brief establishes guidelines for the implementation of electronic monitoring. In order to respect the human rights of those being monitored, rules for electronic monitoring should be transparent and accommodate basic daily needs without imposing unnecessary restrictions; monitoring...

Developing Science and Technology Policy Fellowships in State Governments without Full-Time Legislatures

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level State

State(s) North Carolina, Virginia

Source Journal of Science Policy & Governance

Policy Areas Education, Data & Technology

Science and technology policy fellowships train scientists and engineers to use their expertise to advise government officials in technical matters to inform policymaking. Across the US, differences in legislative structures between states (e.g. legislative size, session duration,...

Technology

The Future of Cities: Reenvisioning Retail

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source National League of Cities

Policy Areas Community Development, Economic Justice, Public Spaces

This report highlighs the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically for local businesses. Local governments can help by creating people-centered places through flexible land use codes, blended brick-and-mortar and online retail, community hubs, and workforce development...

A New Culprit in the Housing Crisis: Rent-Setting Software Algorithms

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2024

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Local Progress

Policy Areas Civil Rights, Data & Technology, Economic Justice, Housing

Rent-setting algorithms inflate housing costs by illegally fixing rent prices among the large group of landlords that use them. This memo outlines steps local governments can take to combat algorithmic price fixing and recommends using ordinances to ban these practices and working...

Making Data a Strategic Asset

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2022

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Center for Digital Government

Policy Areas Data & Technology, Democracy & Governance

Medium-sized counties and cities investing in data modernization efforts sometimes fail to fully leverage cloud-based solutions and advanced tools due to a lack of skilled staff and disproportionate amount of manual data processes. This report finds that most organizations and city...

Cities in the Cloud: What City Leaders Need to Know About Cloud Computing

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source National League of Cities

Policy Areas Data & Technology, Democracy & Governance

As technology constantly evolves and poses challenges for cities to navigate, city leaders must stay informed on the benefits of modern solutions and approaches. This policy brief highlights cloud computing and provides recommendations for municipalities. Best practices include launching...

Local Police Surveillance Technology

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year -

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Local Progress

Policy Areas Civil Rights, Data & Technology, Democracy & Governance, Public Safety

As the capabilities of surveillance technology develop, law enforcement's ability to surveil citizens' movement, communication, and ideas also advances. In order to protect citizens' safety, the Center for Popular Democracy and the ACLU launched the Community Control Over Police Surveillance...

Madison Network Security Policies and Procedures

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2022

Level City or Town

State(s) Wisconsin

Source City of Madison

Policy Areas Data & Technology, Democracy & Governance

These policies and procedures outline guidelines for maintaining a secure municipal network infrastructure. It emphasizes user responsibility, consequences for non-compliance, and covers acceptable use policies, data privacy, and network security measures. Specific provisions include...

De-Identifying Government Datasets: Techniques and Governance

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2023

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source National Institute of Standards & Technology

Policy Areas Data & Technology, Democracy & Governance

Data de-identification is the process of modifying or removing personally identifiable information from datasets in a way that minimizes the risk of unintended disclosure of individuals' identities. This report outlines the fundamentals of data de-identification within the educational...

Most State Unemployment Websites Fail Mobile and Accessibility Tests

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level State, National

State(s) All States

Source Information Technology & Innovation Foundation

Policy Areas Data & Technology

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of workers have applied for unemployment benefits online, only to be met with a crashed webpage. To better gauge the overall functionality of state unemployment websites, ITIF tested the page load speed, mobile-friendliness, and accessibility...

Online and Observed: Student Privacy Implications of School-Issued Devices and Student Activity Monitoring Software

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level School District

State(s) All States

Source Center for Democracy & Technology

Policy Areas Education, Data & Technology

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many school districts have introduced student activity monitoring software and other digital tools aimed at facilitating remote classroom management and driving student engagement. Though helpful, these tools can also be intrusive. This report examines...

Protecting Our Data: What Cities Should Know About Cybersecurity

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source National League of Cities

Policy Areas Data & Technology, Public Safety

The pressure on cities to become smarter or more digitally connected is mounting, resulting in a frenzy of competition and anxiety about being left behind. This report identifies the importance of making cybersecurity an administrative and budgetary priority. It recommends conducting...

2020 Madison Ordinance 62413 Banning Facial Recognition Technology

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2020

Level City or Town

State(s) Wisconsin

Source The Common Council of the City of Madison

Policy Areas Data & Technology

Face surveillance is an automated process that assists in identifying an individual based on their facial characteristics. This ordinance prohibits city agencies, departments, and divisions from possessing a face surveillance system or accessing information derived from a face surveillance...

Wilson Hits a Fiber-to-the-Home Run with Greenlight Municipal Broadband Network

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level City or Town

State(s) North Carolina

Source Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Policy Areas Community Development, Data & Technology

Due to monopoly control of broadband technology, millions of Americans do not have internet access because it is not available or affordable. To circumvent this problem, the city of Wilson began building a citywide Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network called Greenlight in 2008, after...

Tracking Body Camera Implementation

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year 2015

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Campaign Zero

Policy Areas Public Safety, Data & Technology

Body cameras are rapidly becoming the norm in communities across the country. Campaign Zero reviewed available police department body camera policies from the largest 30 cities in America to determine whether this new technology is being implemented in ways that ensure accountability...

ProGov21 Policy Library

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