Beats | March 2, 2017

Civic tech goes local to boost community problem-solving

ImpactAlpha
The team at

ImpactAlpha

From new positions at City Hall (think: Chief Technology Officers) and public-service fellowships to innovation units in the Mayor’s office, civic engagement is getting a tech makeover.

New experiments and old partners are coming together to reimagine civic engagement, and not only in a few star cities. In smaller cities and rural communities, public officials are embracing a pragmatic and local approach to problem solving.

Oregonians are providing feedback and ideas on public policy via Kitchen Table, an online platform that allows public officials to engage representatives and even crowdfund and lend to local startups.

In Albuquerque, New Mexico the TalentABQ program lets employers hire workers based on skills, not educational credentials, and train them on the job through 31 TalentABQ Skill Up centers across the city.

Photo credit: W.K. Kellogg Foundation