We've Had Terrible Fires. Why Haven't More Homes Burned?

New York City suffered from fires that erupted in overcrowded, run-down apartments. Then the city sleuthed through residential records and found that landlords who foreclosed let their properties fall apart and ignored safety-code violations. Greater Toronto wants to expand upon New York City’s method by using transportation surveys, census data and computer data to build transit lines.

The water system in the United States is beginning to be in need of replacement. In order to facilitate this infrastructure project and prevent it from becoming overwhelming, technology such as water sensors and software are being used to monitor water usage and replace the pipes that are most dire as they degrade.

Veterans Affairs' Reach Vet program uses an algorithm weighing 61 factors to flag veterans deemed at highest risk of suicide. While its results have not been shown to affect the suicide rate, it has more than doubled high-risk veterans' uses of V.A. services and been associated with a lower overall mortality rate. Built on an analysis of thousands of previous suicides in the V.A.'s system, Reach Vet assesses scores of facts from medical records, including some that are not obvious to humans trying to spot problems. Doctors then intervene and ensure the veteran has a suicide safety plan in place.

Automating repetitive tasks allows civil servants to manage often tedious and high-volume workloads. By introducing forms of automated technology that are already common in the public sector, Singapore has updated its government agencies, allowing civil servants to focus on higher-order tasks. Bots help with services such as payroll, emails, and reconciling budgets.

Wildfires are inevitable, especially as forests become drier due to climate change, but it is possible to design the built environment so that fires don’t destroy as much property or as many lives. Architects now can choose different materials that resist ignition from wind-borne embers and can put more distance between homes. Spacing homes farther apart and burying power lines can help, but the changing climate is also making some places unsuitable for rebuilding destroyed communities.

The Elide Fire Ball is an orb filled with fire suppressant designed to explode in seconds when it comes into contact with fire. Fire balls are easy to use, can be used preventatively by placing them where fires might break out, and do not have to be maintained and tested like traditional fire extinguishers.

With a single tap, public health workers in Leeds can use a mobile app to record signs of loneliness in the city. Their observations generate a heat map of social isolation, which then guides community outreach efforts and increases efficiency.

Governments around the world are exploring whether blockchain technologies can improve public administration. In theory, blockchain could improve accountability and trust in government. In practice, pilot projects are hitting roadblocks and may take more time to implement and scale than some might hope.

The e-Estonia project eliminates information silos, pairing blockchain with an easy to use data-sharing platform. The X-Road platform platform acts like a bridge, linking the information in places like doctors offices and governmental agencies together, providing a more efficient data management system for users and bureaucrats alike. The e-Estonia program also offers e-residencies to those who wish to use the services outside of the country. Blockchain technology lends the entire system added security.

Low-income people often miss out on court dates because they cannot afford to miss work or leave their children. Michigan and Ohio courts have incorporated the Matterhorn “online adjudication system” to handle simple cases so individuals can participate through the Internet. The system also offers the advantage of having “less bias” than in-person trials, because the race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status of the individual is protected online.