30 Must-Read State and Local IT Blogs 2018
There are 50 state governments and thousands of cities and towns that are pushing ahead with IT modernization. There are numerous smart cities around the country that are leading the charge to improve their residents’ lives via technology.
Meanwhile, 5G wireless networks are starting to crop up, which will help enhance city services over time. States are experimenting with blockchain to gain efficiencies. And counties are using innovation labs as a way to modernize both their technology and processes. With all of that going on, it can be difficult for state and local IT leaders and professionals to stay abreast of how technology changes and trends affect their jobs and their constituents. Thankfully, they can turn to expert bloggers to offer insights. We’ve compiled a list of this year’s best state and local IT blogs.
The 2018 Must-Read State and Local IT Blogger List covers not only mainstay blogs that will appeal to state and local CIOs, but also smart city practitioners, public safety officials, public librarians and those who work in the court system.
If your blog was chosen, please grab a badge to display to your readers. If you're interested in seeing previous honorees, view our 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014 lists.
And if you think we missed a state or local IT blog that you read regularly, feel free to leave a comment. Be sure to bookmark this page, share it with friends and follow our top bloggers on social media.
100 Resilient Cities Blog
100 Resilient Cities, an initiative pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation, is dedicated to helping cities around the world become more resilient to the physical, social and economic challenges that are a growing part of the 21st century. The blog offers practical advice on how cities can use technology to improve resiliency, and information on city resiliency policy and planning in general.
100RESCITIES
Alabama OIT Blog
Alabama is in the Deep South, and it’s also deep into technological innovation in many respects. Huntsville is a major tech hub and smaller cities like Opelika are making strides in their smart city evolution. Alabama’s Office of Information Technology keeps track of how the state is pushing forward with digital enhancements, such as a statewide Voice over Internet Protocol rollout, with a particular focus on cybersecurity and software upgrades.
STATE OF ALABAMA OFFICE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
American City and County Viewpoints
Founded in 1909, the magazine American City & County has been the voice of state and local government for more than a century, and “serves a powerful audience of city, county and state officials who are charged with developing and implementing government policy, programs and projects,” according to its website. The magazine’s blog offers a variety of viewpoints and tackles everything from what government training should emphasize in digital services procurement to how governments can reduce networking equipment costs while boosting performance.
AMERICAN CITY & COUNTY
California Department of Technology Blog
As the largest state in the nation by population and the home of Silicon Valley, California holds outsize importance in the world of state governments. The state Department of Technology’s blog provides a window into the changing tech landscape across the Golden State’s government, including cloud migration and the opening of its cybersecurity center.
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TECHNOLOGY
Catherine Andrews
Catherine Andrews is the director of content at GovLoop and Granicus, where she “aims to help inspire the public sector to get better at their jobs by creating great resources for them,” per her LinkedIn profile. Her posts on GovLoop focus on IT modernization, data analytics, data-driven local government solutions and other tech topics.
CATHERINE ANDREWS
City Accelerator
Change often happens at the local level, but city officials toil away without much fanfare. GOVERNING’s City Accelerator blog highlights the innovative work they do, especially related to procurement modernization and enhancing equity.
GOVERNING
City of Boston Department of Innovation and Technology
Boston is one of StateTech’s smart cities to watch, mainly because it is focused on solving real problems for real people. In the spring, it launched a new project called Beta Blocks, aimed at getting residents more involved in smart city projects and soliciting feedback from the communities they are meant to help. The blog for the city’s Department of Innovation and Technology keeps residents of Beantown updated on how the city is using tech to improve their quality of life.
DOIT BOSTON
CivicPlus Blog
CivicPlus is a web development business that specializes in building city and county e-government communication systems and integrated software for local government and municipal web design. The blog focuses on a diverse array of topics, including how local government CIOs can use Content as a Service, how to employ automated accessibility tools in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and using open data.
CIVICPLUS
Court Technology Bulletin
Given the emphasis on smart cities and even smart states, courts are an often overlooked element of the state and local government landscape. However, they are an essential ingredient to civic life and the rule of law, and they shape how citizens interact with government. A blog of the National Center for State Courts, Court Technology Bulletin provides a timely chronicle of how technology is reshaping the court system, including the use of videoconferencing tools for pretrial services and smartphones that can be used as document scanners for e-filing.
NCSC
Data SF Speaks
DataSF’s mission is to empower the use of data, and it seeks to transform the way San Francisco works through the use of data. The organization believes the use of data and evidence can improve our operations and the services they provide. The blog offers practical advice and insights for data scientists in local jurisdictions.
DATA SF
Data-Smart City Solutions
An initiative by the Ash Center at Harvard Kennedy School and powered by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Data-Smart City Solutions focuses on civic technology and how city governments can use data to help improve services for residents. The blog also highlights use cases and best practices from across the country, such as the use of blockchain by Austin, Texas, to create a digital ID system.
DATA-SMART CITIES
David Lee King
Do you work in a public library, and are you interested in keeping your library relevant in the 21st century? If so, then you need to follow the blog of David Lee King, the digital branch manager at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, a leader on how to incorporate digital technologies — including the Internet of Things, video, mobile apps and more — into public library programs.
DAVID LEE KING
Digital Communities
GovTech’s Digital Communities site highlights how local governments are driving modernization forward on everything from emerging technologies to public safety. The site is also the home of the annual Digital Counties Survey, which showcases county leaders in digital innovation.
GOVTECH.COM
ELGL
ELGL, or Engaging Local Government Leaders, has a clear mission: providing timely, relevant content; fostering authentic, meaningful connections; expecting equity and inclusion; encouraging joy in public service; and welcoming new ideas and technology. Part community hub, part professional development website, ELGL offers connections and links to live events to help local government leaders bring their passion to life.
