Cities meet the challenges.

• Position: News & Numbers - Finance

To deliver systematic and longer term improvements, cities are examining their data and using it to change the way their governments are organized. How to Reinvent a City: Mayors' Lessons from the Smarter Cities Challenge, a report from IBM, shares the insights mayors have learned from in this IBM Citizenship initiative. The project provides information about how these cities have addressed urban issues in ways that will enable them to become more vibrant and livable.

The Smarter Cities Challenge grant program is a three-year, 100-city initiative in which IBM is donating time to help cities get started on ambitious projects. IBM dispatches five- or six-person teams of experts with a range of backgrounds, skills, and experiences that bring fresh perspectives and help cities formulate strategies for improving the quality of life and the prospects of their citizens. The program encourages leaders to try new methods for getting things done. The cities chosen have a critical issue to resolve and a strong commitment to action from the mayor or city manager.

The project website provides additional information, including reports on projects with Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Edmonton, Alberta; and Malaga, Spain. Milwaukee was interested in understanding how, in the context...