The 22,000 people of Hudson live in a green stretch of the state of Ohio midway between the cities of Cleveland and Akron. Despite the major industrial disruptions of the last 40 years, the region is relatively prosperous. Its economy rests on a mix of manufacturing (polymers, automotive, fabricated metals, electrical and electronic parts and aerospace) and services (transportation, health, insurance, banking, finance and retail). Such name-brand companies as Goodyear, Bridgestone, FedEx, Lockheed Martin, Allstate Insurance and JP Morgan Chase have headquarters or major facilities there. Click here to read more about Hudson.

Chicago, on the shores of Lake Michigan, is a global city of 2.7 million. It is the center of America’s third largest metro economy, which produces more than US$690 billion in gross regional product. But all big cities have big challenges. What distinguishes the successful ones is how they rise to those challenges. To build a better tomorrow for all its citizens, Chicago is focused on enlisting technology, education, engagement and demand for a better quality of life to open the doors of opportunity. Click here to read more about Chicago.

Abbotsford is the largest city, outside Vancouver, in the province of British Columbia and is among the most diverse in Canada. The city borders the United States to the south and is part of the Vancouver metroplex, which has gifted it with both an independent economy and participation in the economic sphere of western Canada's gateway city. Click here to read more about Abbotsford.

Dr. Alex Pang studies people, technology and the worlds they make. He has a Ph.d. in History and Sociology of Science from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Pang's latest book: Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less is a study of the role of rest in the lives of some of history’s most creative and productive people. Rest focuses on the core ideas that rest and work are partners, that rest is an active skill and that rest dramatically enhances creativity. The book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or via local bookstores through Indiebound and is also available in Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Turkish.

Melissa manages the Arts Programme at KWMC, which includes developing exhibitions, installations and artist residencies. Her work includes producing a wide range of digital, photographic and film projects, and exploring the role that the arts can play in business development, social action and regeneration.

Sébastien Gagnon, Vice President of Sales & Public Affairs at bciti is a recognized leader in the municipal world in municipal management and intergovernmental relations. He has more than 20 years of experience in intergovernmental relations, and has worked both in the public and private sectors. He has a Master’s Degree in Marketing, a Postgraduate Degree in Commerce and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations.

Jean-Francois Barsoum, Canadian Leader of Smarter Cities, Water and Transportation at IBM, joined Lou Zacharilla for this discussion. Since joining IBM, he has provided strategy advice to a diverse set of clients: financial institutions, higher education, professional associations, pharmaceutical companies and telecoms. Jean-Francois has also been invited to speak at conferences on the subjects of innovation, smarter transportation and climate change on four continents.

OurCalling (www.OurCalling.org) is a Dallas-based organization that has created an interactive smartphone app that provides information and emergency alerts to some of the most vulnerable members of a community: the homeless.

OurCalling's app has a database of service providers for the poor, a list of resources such a clinics, food banks and rehab facilities, a calendar for volunteer opportunities, a way for individuals to report a situation where volunteers can go assist someone in need, and more. While it started in Dallas, they are currently working to expand nationally to provide information on services to homeless people all over the US.

Listen to this fascinating episode of The Intelligent Community to learn more about how OurCalling developed the app, the lessons they learned on building relationships, and their plans for what's to come with their mission. 

Sehl Mellouli is a professor at the department of Information Systems at Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada since June 2005. He obtained his Phd in Computer Science from Université Laval in 2005. He has an MBA in Management Information Systems from Université Laval. He is also an engineer in computer science from the Ecole Nationale des Sciences Informatiques, Tunis, Tunisia.

Danielle is CIO and Commissioner of the City of Chicago's Department of Innovation and Technology, where she is working to improve how residents interact with government by creating more responsive and accessible digital services.