Here on Data-Smart, Stephen Goldsmith wrote about Cook County, IL’s success in creating a tech-savvy staff to manage the demands of cloud computing. In 2014 and 2015, Cook County CIO Simona Rollinson hired or promoted roughly a third of the bureau’s employees and wrote or revised a third of its job postings. In the process, she appealed to private sector employees with experience in vendor management and system architecture and combined formerly separate job postings to maximize value and increase system integration.

The NYU Furman Center launched CoreData.nyc, an online hub that standardizes datasets from city, state, and federal sources to provide more than 100 indicators on New York City housing and neighborhoods. The tool allows users to search for subsidized properties and identify properties at risk of exiting from affordability restrictions, while also providing neighborhood-level information on housing markets, home affordability, land use, demographics, and neighborhood conditions.

Route Fifty discussed the need for the increased adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to gather environmental data in cities. While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has installed more than 10,000 air-quality sensors across the nation and published the data publicly, many cities still have few or no sensors and little access to useful data. In order for cities to pinpoint sources of pollution and hold polluters accountable, cities must install sensors themselves, focusing on the areas of allergens, sound, and heat.

The expansion of IoT initiatives may require a national strategy on the part of the federal government to promote IoT adoption and use. The Center for Data Innovation published a report on how the federal government can support private-sector efforts to build the Internet of Things by providing technical resources, strengthening cybersecurity, and developing industry-friendly regulations. Particularly important will be federal guidance on standards, development, and interoperability.

GovTech discussed the addition of animal service metrics to city open data portals in Dallas, Louisville, Los Angeles, Miami-Dade County, and Aurora, CO. This data allows citizens to track how many calls come into animal control, why animals come in, and what happens to those animals. Using this data, cities have been able to target areas with greater concentrations of stray animals and some residents have created mobile apps that help people adopt a pet or find a lost pet.

FedScoop reported that the Senate unanimously passed the OPEN Government Data Act, a bipartisan bill requiring that federal agencies publish their available data in an open, machine-readable format. While the bill is unlikely to reach President Obama’s desk this year, representatives and data leaders feel that the bill is well-positioned to pass the House next year. The bill would codify and build upon an executive order and White House open data policy, which both call for open and machine-readable data from federal agencies.

Philly.com wrote about a high-tech model used by the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) in Philadelphia to determine which properties might be vacant or dangerous before an inspector visits the property. Philadelphia assigns properties a safety score developed using data about previous violations, failures to pay utilities and crime, as well as a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology that allows inspectors to determine which homes may have collapsing roofs. Using this model, the city has been able to identify and demolish properties that might not otherwise have surfaced as problematic.

The Chronicle of Social Change highlighted the New York City Technology and Foster Youth Hackathon, which brought together technologists, nonprofit representatives, government officials, and foster youth to address foster care challenges. The hackathon emphasized the need to engage foster youth in designing policy and technology solutions to child welfare problems. The organizers of the hackathon hope that the input of foster youth, combined with the expertise of private sector representatives, will produce innovative solutions in child welfare.