Seventeen fellows spread across seven U.S. cities will work on projects that include housing-data portals, resource maps for formerly incarcerated people and a food-stamp app.

Reenie Askew, currently the deputy CIO for Houston, will take the top IT job in Charlotte, succeeding Jeff Stovall, who resigned last September.

Stovall, hired in 2008 to be the North Carolina city's first IT chief, is taking a job with a healthcare software firm.

The app, called "Happen," comes amid a flurry of efforts to boost the city’s sustainability efforts.

The nonprofit arm of Michael Bloomberg’s company now has 27 cities, representing 11 million citizens, targeted for support in using data to improve services.

StateScoop interviewed dozens of industry and public sector officials to identify 10 cities — from Austin to New York to San Francisco — that are setting the pace pursuing smart city strategies.

As part of a new program, Envision Charlotte will demonstrate how connected technology can improve efficiency in cities across the country.

Envision Charlotte, a North Carolina-based green initiative, is taking the sustainability movement from corporate burden to cost-saving strategy.

The alliance will collaborate and share smart city technology to work towards a sustainable future.