Technology is pervasive in every aspect of our lives. Tempe’s Information Technology Department is responsible for developing city-wide strategies that align City Council strategic priorities with appropriate technology to reduce the cost of government, enhance services to our citizens, and make government services more accessible in today’s connected world.

Recently Information Technology updated its strategic plan. Following IT’s guiding principles and goals, this plan provides a holistic view of where the department will invest resources over the next 18-24 months that is operationally sustainable today and well into the future. To achieve our strategy, the department must remain focused on key initiatives that are driven by our mission and vision. This strategy was developed in cooperation with City stakeholders, IT leadership, and the input of IT employees. It is a combined effort to assess our current state, envision our future state, and determine the gaps necessary to fill to achieve those goals. It is our roadmap and is focused on three tenants: 

1. Deliver Technology Services

Before innovation, Information Technology must deliver basic services to our internal and external customers. This means maintaining our existing technology such as traffic control, public safety (911), and other departmental systems citizens rely on highly available and relevant. Browse some of our external facing services below:

  • Public computers: Tempe has computers for public use at Tempe Public Library, Escalante Community Center and North Tempe Multi-Generational Center (see map). Please ask staff on site for access information.

2. Build a Foundation for Innovation 

Before developing the processes that make up a smart city there must be a solid foundation for which to build. Smart, network connected devices in the field such as traffic signals, parking, and water meters require wired and wireless technology to get data to a central location where it can be analyzed and transformed to make decisions based on real-time information. Information Technology has a unique vantage point of City operations allowing us to see how technology could be leveraged across the entire organization to improve the lives of our citizens. A solid foundation is critical to building innovative and useful technologies. IT is continually observing how emerging technologies can be leveraged to improve digital citizen services. Browse the ways IT is using data to build Tempe's foundation:

  • What Works Cities (WWC) Platinum Certification: Tempe’s strategic priorities and data have focused the city’s efforts on nearly 100 different performance measures, including fire department response times, pavement quality, and graffiti removal. Information Technology provides support for all strategic priorities and internal departments, championing the use of data and analytics to evaluate performance and improve processes. IT partners with all City departments to forward data governance, transparency, process improvement, analytics and the strategic use of technology to support reaching performance goals. 

  • Data academy

  • Performance measurement dashboard

  • Conduit/fiber infrastructure: Tempe’s Information Technology is continuing to work with City staff on the placement of fiber and empty conduit to encourage development of high-speed data networks to support future smart cities sensors. By partnering with City (water, sewer, and transportation) and private projects that open a trench in city streets, IT can pre-position underground conduit to save money and only dig the street up once for high-speed Internet and cellular coverage. 

  • 4 and 5G: There are a lot of wires in wireless! Leveraging our foundational underground conduit, Tempe has encouraged early adoption of the next generation of cellular wireless networks that require antennas in closer proximity (small cell) than traditional service. The new service will be rolling out to Tempe’s downtown, Performing Arts Center, and Tempe Diablo Stadium over the next year. 

3. Innovate

This is the most exciting of the three tenants, using innovative technologies to solve real-world problems. Technology is the enabler and should not drive the solution. Tempe’s Information Technology partners with all City departments to leverage technology that align with the Tempe City Council strategic priorities and performance measure to accelerate reaching our goal to become a smart city and partner with other municipalities, governments, and private organizations to participate in creating a smart region. There is no absolute definition of a smart city, it is a process, or series of steps, by which cities become more ‘livable’ and resilient. Innovation is critical to learn, adapt and then respond more effectively and promptly to new challenges by improving the intelligence of the city through timely information. Browse some of Tempe's new and innovative technologies:

  • Real Time Operations Center (RTOC): Tempe's Police and IT Departments have partnered to launch the RTOC in July 2024 to leverage technology to improve public safety and other city services. This technology connects the hundreds of city-owned traffic, park, and facilities cameras in real-time to assist in incident response. The city has recently expanded the cameras they can access by partnering with Valley Metro, ASU, Tempe Union High School District, Tempe Elementary School District, Kyrene School District, City of Mesa Real Time Crime Center (RTCC), and City of Scottsdale RTCC. Tempe is the 5th city in Maricopa County to implement this technology but the first to use it for issues beyond solving crimes.

  • Transit wayfinding for visually impaired 

  • WaterSmart: Tempe recently completed replacement of all analog water meters with new digital “Smart” meters that collect hourly water usage and trends. The individual meter data is collected during the day through a radio system located on streetlights and analyzed in an analytics portal. WaterSmart is a user-friendly portal that enables wise water management by providing tools and information to utility customers. The system can compare usage with other similar households, notify customers of high bills, and even detect where a leak may have formed. Now that the City has automated meter reading, the existing manual meter reader staff was reallocated to use the new data to increase awareness of water use, inspire conservation and save money through efficient management of this limited resource.

  • Tempe Graffiti Challenge

  • COVID-19 Wastewater Dashboard: Tempe is in a unique position for an innovative response to the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic due to the Wastewater Data Analytics - Opioids program supported by the Tempe City Council’s Innovation Fund in 2018 and the community trust cultivated by our compassion, science and services approach in using public health data.

Policy & Governance

  • Ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy: This policy will outline principles, guidelines, and procedures for responsible use within the city. Tempe will evaluate potential impacts to the community before choosing to use an AI technology. One of the guiding principles that will drive this approach is the involvement of people in the ongoing use of AI technologies, including through measures like proactive quality control checks to ensure that AI use over time continues to be accurate and unbiased. Tempe is believed to be the first city in Arizona to enact a policy involving ethical use of AI. The City Council approved the policy June 15, 2023. Transparency, fairness, accountability and the protection of individual rights are the guiding principles of the document, with the intention of driving innovation while increasing efficiency and improving experiences for the community.