In 2014, City Councilmember Kriss Worthington directed the City Manager to address the digital divide by making technologies more accessible for moderate- and low-income residents of Berkeley. To discover opportunities to achieve this goal, the City of Berkeley hired Nutter Consulting to survey similar projects and initiatives that cities have undertaken across the country. Taking their first steps, the City hosted an inaugural technology fair to connect residents to affordable Internet and refurbished digital devices.

Working in partnership, Urban Sustainability Directors’ Network (USDN), DNV GL and Nutter Consulting released a procurement framework for cities,  entitled Smart Cities Vendor Engagement Framework, looking to build innovative programs that leverage the potential of smart city technologies.