Cities have a hard time collaborating amongst their own departments, how do we enable a collaboration beyond just cities to include regional agencies and departments?

Like drivers, transit users and cyclists often travel relatively long distances to get to work, and cross several municipal boundaries. However, due to limited infrastructure, their routes are sometimes less direct. Some transit systems also require many transfers. How can we use data to identify the best routes and greatest opportunities to maximize convenience for these growing populations?

It's very difficult for people to become involved with civic functions in their neighborhood because the discoverability of basic information like hyperlocal government districts and representatives is very difficult to come by. How can this be improved? One project focusing on this is DemocracyMap.org

Cities are blocks of voters that spend their time and effort in defining our social, political, cultural and environmental futures. We need mechanisms for citizens to make smart trade-offs between economic growth and environmental enhancements; not only on the individual regional level, but a more complex inter-regional marketplace.

Making the connection with "ecosystem services" more visible for city residents can help deepen one's sense of place. This is also more specific version of David's "What is a region?," focusing on the municipal resource infrastructure.

If cities are smarter, are they better prepared and mitigate against future disasters to save lives and property?

Too many resources (MSW, metals, wastewater, etc) are exported at a high cost to communities. How do we create industrial ecosystems that also provide potable water, renewable energy, and biodiversity to our ocmmunities?

Metropolitan areas are defined by the commuter shed? Is this the most important factor for envisioning a region? What about the water shed, food shed, energy shed, or trash shed? New York City requires a substantial area upstate for clean water, but the people who live, work, and otherwise use this area do not consider themselves part of the region.

With increasing instrumentation of the infrastructure as well as more powerful mobile devices, there is an exponential growth in data about conditions? What benefits can arise by integrating and visualizing real time data about the city? What data should be archived to understand longer-term changes?

Regional and city ordinances and regulations are often too complex to be effective and often have unintended consequences.