In this episode, Professor Steve Goldsmith interviews Kip Harkness, the deputy city manager for San Jose, California. Harkness is in charge of the city’s IT and innovation portfolios; despite being in the middle of Silicon Valley, many low-income residents don’t have access to broadband internet. Thanks to efficient digital permits, a partnership with national telecommunications providers, and a dedicated Digital Inclusion Fund, San Jose is connecting residents across the city and providing online access across households.

Music credit: Summer-Man by Ketsa

About Data-Smart City Solutions

Data-Smart City Solutions, housed at the Ash Center at Harvard Kennedy School, is working to catalyze the adoption of data projects on the local government level by serving as a central resource for cities interested in this emerging field. We highlight best practices, top innovators, and promising case studies while also connecting leading industry, academic, and government officials. Our research focus is the intersection of government and data, ranging from open data and predictive analytics to civic engagement technology. We seek to promote the combination of integrated, cross-agency data with community data to better discover and preemptively address civic problems. To learn more visit us online and follow us on Twitter.