Why small cities need to be ‘smart’

On this week’s Priorities podcast, two IT leaders from Normal, Illinois, say the future of the “smart cities” movement may be in small cities like theirs. Vasu Gadhiraju, the chief information officer of Normal, Illinois — a town in central Illinois with 54,000 residents — says that while the phrase “smart cities” means different things to different communities, it indicates in her city an attempt to embrace change and innovation to solve government challenges. Gadhiraju, along with project and resource manager Sara Schelinksi, outline how the city approaches their smart city and data efforts, and how they’re aiming for growth.

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