The Internet Is the New Town Hall and Soon Cities Will Be Listening

You probably know about a couple of ways to log formal gripes with your city about things like downed tree limbs, crummy garbage service, or graffiti. You could call up your councilmember, or file a 3-1-1 ticket, or even turn up for a public meeting. Many cities have long been trying to modernize this process for the 21st century, by allowing residents to track responses to their complaints online, or by letting them dash off geotagged missives by smart phone app.

But what if technology could go just one step further? What if you never even had to contact City Hall about that needed road repair on Main Street, because City Hall already saw your tweets? (And we know you spend a lot of time on Twitter moaning about #potholes).