Geographic information systems (GIS) — an online spatial tool for data collection, management and analysis that is rooted in geography— has been acknowledged as a foundational platform in building smart community strategies worldwide.
What occurs in a community is geographically personal. Regardless of who you are, as a resident of your community, you care about where you live.
A key component of what makes a community smart is its ability to embrace civic inclusion, or foster public participation, engagement and crowdsourcing that helps a whole community understand what matters more to constituents.