Tyler Svitak
Earlier this month, state lawmakers packed the House chamber for Gov. Jared Polis’ State of the Union address, where he outlined some of the biggest issues facing Coloradans today. No wonder housing, security and the state’s transportation system topped the list. Fortunately, public and private sector leaders across Colorado are working together to leverage the latest technological advances and develop innovative solutions to stubborn policy challenges that have long puzzled lawmakers.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated the housing affordability crisis that has plagued Colorado for more than a decade. In 2019, our state already faced a 100,000-unit housing shortage, and according to an executive order issued by Governor Polis in August, “tens of thousands” of units are still needed. As the pandemic pushes many tenants and homeowners to the brink, the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance (CSCA), a nonprofit organization made up of governments, businesses, and related organizations, is working to support the city of Woodland Park and urban Forging a partnership with a groundbreaking data platform called Footprint to inform policymakers where evictions and foreclosures are most likely to occur. In addition to identifying which populations are most vulnerable to rising housing costs, these insights will help us effectively allocate taxpayer resources such as rental assistance to residents who need it most. It also serves as a guideline.
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Most recently, CSCA announced the winners of the 2023 Connected Colorado (C2) The challenge invited applications from technology leaders who want to partner with communities across the state to address specific transportation and safety challenges. It’s no coincidence that these goals align with the biggest issues facing Colorado policymakers.This year’s C category winner2 Challenges include Clovity’s partnership with the City of Greeley to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technology to detect motor vehicle crashes and improve first responder coordination and response times. It was. Arapahoe County and the City of Commerce will leverage CityROVER’s AI and cloud services to identify and document missing transportation infrastructure to help city maintenance personnel accelerate project implementation.
AI, IoT, and other emerging technologies are revolutionizing the way governments and private organizations develop lasting solutions to these pressing problems. But they also help governments and businesses improve themselves. Lazarillo, another C2 Challenge winners will work with the City and County of Denver at Denver International Airport to use advanced positioning technology and mobile applications to help Colorado residents and visitors with disabilities navigate the airport. Masu. Front C2 Challenge award winner Kaizen Labs helped the City of Castle Pines redesign the digital engagement experience for citizens and improve accessibility to parks and recreation facilities by 200% in just nine months.
From Denver to Grand Junction, cities and communities across Colorado are leveraging the opportunities that AI and modern digital tools offer city planners, transportation networks, and local governments. This collaborative approach allows civil servants to better understand technology platforms and work collaboratively to achieve maximum return on investment from customized applications. State and federal policymakers should emulate this process when developing laws and regulations regarding AI and other emerging technologies to ensure that well-intentioned regulatory efforts do not miss the mark and unnecessarily stifle innovation. It should be like this.
Colorado is ahead of the curve in leveraging cutting-edge technology to advance solutions to housing, safety, and transportation challenges, and we are ready to bring our expertise to bear on these pressing challenges. I’m always amazed at how many successful and motivated entrepreneurs there are. problem. Private and public leaders should accept their recommendations.
Tyler Svitak is Colorado Smart City Alliance.