Regional consortium to reverse-engineer tech adoption in Phoenix area

Source: Smart Cities Dive Author: Cailin Crowe Published: Feb. 3rd 2020

Dive Brief:

The Greater Phoenix Smart Region Consortium, or "The Connective," recently launched to build what the group says will be the country's largest, most connected smart region.
The Connective will include a number of university, public, private and community members to adopt technology solutions at scale and address regional issues surrounding mobility, equity and sustainability. The group aims to help area-cities learn from each other to accelerate the adoption of smart city technology, Brent Stockwell, assistant city manager of Scottsdale, AZ, told Smart Cities Dive.
Founding members include Arizona State University; the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC); Maricopa Association of Governments; the Partnership for Economic Innovation and the Institute for Digital Progress.

Dive Insight:

The Connective's multi-organization strategy will help cities take on smart city technology in a "reverse-engineered" way, Chris Camacho, president and CEO of GPEC, told Smart Cities Dive.

Historically, many cities have adopted smart technology solutions due to a private company approaching them with a "shiny widget" that promises to solve a particular problem, he said. The Connective aims to flip that process on its head by asking residents to proactively voice their interests and needs, whether its parking, data privacy or better ways to digitally engage with local government.