KC Momentum Moves the City in the Right (Digital) Direction

Kansas City has always had a town-hall.  But now, the hall has gone digital.

The City of Kansas City, Missouri recently set up an account with MindMixer, an online conversation and virtual town-hall that allows for community planning, building and improvement to happen in a digital way.  MindMixer is the only virtual town-hall service dedicated to municipal and government projects in order to generate a broader audience and create community participation.  And in Kansas City, it comes in the form of KC Momentum.

KC Momentum allows Kansas City residents to give ideas, comments and suggestions to the city online around the topics of improving the community, business licensing and regulation, Google Fiber, public improvements, parking and downtown transit and communication from the city.  When members submit ideas, "second" an idea, refer a friend, or vote on an idea, they can earn rewards and points that add up in a big way.  Prizes include tickets to a Kansas City Royals game and autographed baseballs.

So what's your idea?  Too many potholes on Main Street?  A new name for the Kansas City Missouri School District?  A new KC resident magazine? Interactive parking space availability?  Whatever your strange, cool, crazy or amazing idea may be, be sure to broadcast it on KC Momentum. 

Written by Allison Way
@AllisonThinkBig

Google Fiber Expands to the Missouri Side

Google Fiber is coming to our neck of the woods!  To say we're excited is an understatement.

Earlier this week, Google Fiber (the 1Gbps fiber-to-the-home testbed network) announced its expansion beyond Kansas City, Kansas and into Kansas City, Missouri. 

Mayor Sly James commented with this statement: "As a result of this announcement, we have become the most attractive city on the planet to entrepreneurs." 

This is a good thing for us.  And an even better thing for you.

The expansion of Google Fiber means that Kansas City has a high-profile product of one of the hippest companies today: Google.  The decision to launch Google Fiber in Kansas City has created a positive buzz around the KC metro area because it will allow up to 450,000 residents to utilize the uber-fast, uber-powerful Google Fiber network.  This initiative just goes to show the growth that the Kansas City technology industry is undergoing today.

Kansas City Power and Light will facilitate the Missouri side of Google Fiber's build-out.  According to ars technica, the deal provides cash in exchange for Google's access to the electrical infrastructure, including poles and substations, to make deployment of its fiber fast and (relatively) inexpensive.

Kansas City, we can now say that we will have the fastest Internet connection in the entire world.  This is, without a doubt, a giant leap for Kansas City's technology, innovation, and entrepreneurial sectors. 

Now that's Thinking Big!

Written by Allison Way.
@AllisonThinkBig