In 2013 Charlotte City Manager and ICMA Member Ron Carlee put community engagement on the public agenda to enrich Charlotte, North Carolina’s position as a community of choice for living and working. One of the initiatives that grew from the community engagement strategy was the establishment of an open data program that included both the development of an open data policy and the implementation of an open data portal where city data sets could be posted.  This case study shows how this initiative helped establish Charlotte as a leading smart community.

Smart communities are local governments that look for ways to build safe, healthy, resilient communities for their constituents. Citizens are calling on governments to be more transparent, efficient, collaborative, and productive. A government that meets these challenges is a Smart Community.