The story of this Wisconsin community has much in common with many U.S. towns that are in an interesting time of transition. What sets this group apart is their willingness to embrace the unknowns of the digital future, overcome the fear of change and prepare for the unexpected. Here are three ways they are setting the bar for small cities on their way to becoming smart cities.
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The smart cities conversation is almost always dominated by large metropolitan areas. This makes sense since global trends show the world is becoming increasingly urban. But that narrative leaves out the growing importance of small and mid-sized U.S. cities. The U.S. census classifies areas as either urban (50,000+ people), urban clusters (between 2,500 and 50,000 people), or rural (everything else). According to the 2010 census, there are 497 urbanized areas and 3,104 urban clusters.
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Last Thursday, the Mission Economic Development Corporation held its first ever Civic Innovation Summit, hosting speakers, entrepreneurs, and creators from all over the United States. The all-day event is also the first of its kind in the Valley.
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Kansas City has deemed itself the world’s most connected smart city — a moniker it deserves. In August of last year, I visited the city for the Gigabit City Summit, hosted by KC Digital Drive. I was blown away at the progress it had made on smart city projects.
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