The Queen City is a smart city working to improve its efficiency and effectiveness by using data to inform decisions, and it’s only getting smarter.
Technological innovations are often met with questions and concerns from the public looking for increased transparency on how these technologies collect and use data, how privacy will be protected, and who is accountable for the use of these technologies and the outcomes they enable.
As the city continues to leverage technology to improve opportunities, community engagement and transparency remain at the forefront.
The City of Charlotte is working toward SmartCLT 2027, a smart city strategic framework that builds resident-centric strategies around privacy and data rights, digital equity, and digitally interconnected infrastructure. We must all work together for this strategy to be successful.
For smart cities like Charlotte, public infrastructure is supported by digital infrastructure. It is all around us through vehicle-sensing road lanes, light-reactive streetlights, public Wi-Fi and much more. Technologies like this use data to improve safety and efficiency throughout the city. Transparency in how that information is used in data governance and privacy management helps support the vital ongoing dialogue between city leadership and residents.
We are building a framework where community members participate in decisions about technology, data use, and data storage. A key component is Digital Trust for Places and Routines (DTPR), a communication standard to inform and engage people about technologies in public spaces that is being piloted.
Four hexagons are displayed from top to bottom; the top is the technology’s purpose (mobility); The left one in the middle is a QR code, leading to a webpage with more information; the right one in the middle is the accountable entity (City of Charlotte); and the bottom is the technology type (electric vehicle charger).
The City of Charlotte has multiple projects that will use the DTPR standard to raise awareness and gather feedback, including:
We want to hear from you!
With the help of the Knight Foundation and Helpful Places, the City of Charlotte will be able to pursue its goal of digital transparency, accountability and inclusion. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has a strategic focus to invest at the intersection of technology and public spaces in ways that create more informed and engaged communities. The Knight Foundation was integral in bringing Helpful Places to the City of Charlotte.
Helpful Places mission is to help organizations, and the communities they serve, harness the power of technology in ways that are transparent, inclusive, participatory, and in alignment with the community's goals