When Government Joins the Internet of Things

Brett Goldstein, who was the chief data and information officer for the city of Chicago, is a senior fellow in urban science at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.

Updated September 8, 2013, 7:01 PM

We all interact daily with public infrastructure — roads, parks, mass transit, water supplies. Increasingly, this infrastructure contains sensors that collect and use data on our interactions with it. As the "Internet of things" evolves, the data held by public entities is a critical component of its architecture.

Early initiatives in this space have shown promise. In San Francisco, sensors detect, in real time, which parking places are occupied and which are available. Drivers can view parking availability through a mobile app. At the same time, the data is used to adjust parking prices based on demand. This not only improves a resident interaction with public infrastructure (who hasn’t driven around frustrated looking for parking?) but also helps the city set smarter pricing policies to regulate supply.

As the Internet of Things evolves, the data held by public entities is a critical component of its architecture.

In some cases, residents themselves become part of a network of sensors. Boston built the StreetBump app, which lets residents report road condition data using their smartphone’s accelerometer to detect bumps and potholes, sending information to the city. These examples are only the beginning, as residents, government and industries discover new uses for such data.

Technologist and open source advocate Tim O'Reilly discusses the concept of “algorithmic regulation” in an essay in a forthcoming anthology I am editing, “Beyond Transparency: Open Data and the Future of Civic Innovation." The idea is that using real-time data, regulation can change dynamically based on varying conditions in order to better achieve the desired outcomes. For example, speed limits can be algorithmically adjusted based on current road and traffic conditions to optimize for safe and efficient travel — as they already are on the London Orbital motorway.

This concept is compelling. As public officials, wouldn't we in fact be negligent if we did not use this knowledge to improve our environments and serve the public interest to the best of our ability? Isn't the responsibility of government to use resources like these inputs to make the smartest, most efficient decisions, as fast as possible?

As governments release more open data and contribute to this sensor network, imagine how far we can go. With better data, decisions can be based on what we know, instead of what we think. This can only lead to better policy and governance.

As we use technology and data to develop these systems and models of the future, we must be cautious to avoid the "creepy factor." A clear and proven way to do this is through open and standards-based releases of data. We are seeing more and more administrations passing laws or orders to mandate the publishing of certain data—from Philadelphia to Chicago. A path in which the expansion of these networks walks hand in hand with transparency is one on which we can advance, with accountability.