# How the 'Smart City' Failed

> Presentation to state government agency leaders on what we all can learn from (good and bad) municipal innovation efforts

URL: https://abhinemani.com/blog/2022/08/06/polemic/
Published: 2022-08-06
Author: Abhi Nemani
Tags: Startups, Cities, Regulation

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I was asked to speak to the technology leadership for Texas state agencies, and instead of giving the typical "smart cities" pitch, I explained how that model has failed, and what Texas (and other states) can do to drive local government innovation.

Takeaways for state leaders (or all government leaders, in fact) are these three ways to **refocus**:

- From Open Data to Websites that Work
- From an App Store to a Competitive Marketplace
- From Recruiting "Rockstars" to Capacity Building

## Presentation Materials

Embedded PDF: https://abhinemani.com/decks/TASSCC.pdf

[Open PDF in Browser](https://abhinemani.com/decks/TASSCC.pdf)

Embedded video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/i62WH37KFdg

![GovTech Ideals](https://abhinemani.com/img/smart.png)

## Background materials:
- [City Hall 101](https://abhinemani.com/lessons/city-101/)
- [New Ways to Build or Buy](https://abhinemani.com/lessons/lean/)
- [The GovTech Ecosystem](https://abhinemani.com/lessons/ecosystem/)