Search Results: Smart city initiative

Deacon: Kansas City evolving into a digital laboratory

Cities have become veritable technology ecosystems where data is amassed from almost everything, from air quality and rainfall patterns to traffic flow and the availability of parking spaces. As we become more familiar with the all-encompassing term “smart city,” we can begin to experiment with the futuristic-but-practical applications for all this data, creating the concept of…

Kansas City to play tech teacher again with gigabit conference

Kansas City’s years of experience with gigabit will once again allow it to play Internet instructor. Thanks to popular demand, non-profit organization KC Digital Drive announced that it will host the second-annual Gigabit City Summit May 16 – 18. The summit will welcome dozens of cities to learn from Kansas City’s experience with gigabit Internet…

Meet Kansas City’s new chief innovation officer

After a six-month search, the City of Kansas City, Mo., has found a candidate to lead its various tech and innovation initiatives. Kansas City hired Bob Bennett, a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Army, as the city’s second-ever chief innovation officer and will begin leading the City of Fountains’ various tech operations in January. Bennett…

KC lands federal ‘Smart Cities Initiative’ grant

The White House announced a new ‘Smart Cities Initiative’ this week that will bolster the Kansas City tech community. The $160 million grant has a slew of moving parts, but one portion includes a $6 million grant from the National Science Foundation that 15 communities, including Kansas City, will benefit from. The exact amount each…

What’s a ‘smart city’ and why should KC care?

Aaron Deacon, managing director of KC Digital Drive, was instrumental in forming the Kansas City area’s Digital Playbook in 2012, which aimed to capitalize on the opportunity afforded by Google Fiber. His organization works on tech projects to boost Kansas City’s economy and is hosting a fundraising bash to further that mission. Smart phones. Smart…