State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

San Antonio proposes $13 million for smart city initiatives budget

American City and County: San Antonio, Texas, has set its sights on becoming a smart city through several initiatives set into its 2017 city budget.

The $13 budget includes provisions for public computer kiosks that will offer information about nearby businesses and entertainment and allow interaction with city services, according to the San Antonio Business Journal. The kiosks will also be Wi-Fi hotspots and include electronic device charging capabilities.

“Sooner or later, the expectation of the citizen is to interact with the government in a more efficient way, and I think our approach is when we look at any project we’re doing or any service that we supply, how can we do that in a way to where a citizen wants to consume city services, versus the fact that they have to consume them,” San Antonio Chief Technology Officer Hugh Miller told local TV station KSAT.

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