Today’s guest columnist is Bill Ivey.

When Birmingham was founded in 1871, the county was a sleepy place with a population of about 12,000.

Fifty years later, its population surpassed 300,000, and it had become the leading industrial region in the South.

Today, the county’s primary economic drivers are healthcare, education, manufacturing, research/development, and finance/insurance.

Approximately 200,000 people live in Birmingham, and an additional 400,000 or more reside in the county. However, Jefferson County’s “quilt” of 35 municipalities presents incredible challenges for serving more than 600,000 citizens.

A smart county–not about drones and flying cars

We are unlikely to formally unite our communities in the foreseeable future, so why shouldn’t we connect them virtually by building a “smart county” (which might be a better solution anyway?).

A smart county is not about drones, flying cars, and moving sidewalks—but it IS about using data to increase government efficiency and improve citizens’ quality of life. Just as Jefferson County once led the South in industry, we have an opportunity, by becoming the country’s first smart county, to lead in innovation.

Such a transformation is certainly within our reach. We could obliterate old stereotypes, reshape the local economy, provide a dynamic new job market that attracts young people, and lift countless citizens out of poverty.

1970s Jefferson County dirty, worn-out, polluted & simmering in racial division

In its early years, our region thrived due to its plentiful iron ore, coal, and limestone deposits. At its peak during World War II, U.S. Steel employed up to 30,000 workers here.

By the 1970s, however, the area was dirty, worn-out, polluted, and simmering with racial division. U.S. Steel employed fewer than 15,000 workers, a number that was rapidly declining. A massive cloud of industrial smog blanketed the entire valley. Fortunately, UAB emerged from that dark cloud to help the county remain vibrant.

However, it’s time for our region to take a big step forward.

What can we do?

We’ll blanket the county with a new, clean data cloud to connect a network of connected devices (sensors, cameras, software, etc.).

These smart devices will communicate and interact with each other in real-time.

Data our most valuable resource

Aside from air and water, DATA is our most valuable resource. It’s free, and it’s everywhere.

Data is in our city halls and courthouses.

It is embedded in our waste and water treatment infrastructure, as well as our traffic management systems. And in our town halls and our police and fire departments. In other words, it is a vast resource waiting to be mined!

Using our new data cloud, we would:

• Link Jefferson County and all its cities so they can share data and best practices. (Alabama Power has a massive fiber network in this area, so it could be a major partner.)
• Modernize and standardize databases throughout the county.
• Build safeguards into the system to prevent hacking, protect personal information, and foster trust. (UAB’s Center for Cybersecurity is one of the best in the country.)
• Ensure that all citizens have access to broadband Wi-Fi.

Two Flagship Initiatives of a Smart Jefferson County

Smart Healthcare: With UAB as our primary economic driver, it makes sense to lead with this initiative.

The challenges are significant (security and integration of disparate systems), but we can make this work. Here are some examples of high-tech systems that would dramatically improve healthcare in Jefferson County.

• Standardized electronic healthcare records: There should be no more faxing and repeatedly filling out the same information. All records should be stored securely in the cloud.
• Weave healthcare technology into the fabric of our communities: Wearable devices and sensors should be more common. They collect real-time data on patients’ vital signs, allowing providers to track patients remotely—a proactive rather than a reactive system. Auburn University, for example, is increasing rural access to healthcare with OnMed CareStations, clinic-in-a-box units that provide comprehensive basic healthcare. A clinician connects virtually with each patient and suggests treatment plans, e-prescriptions, and next steps. We should be able to do something similar in our neighborhoods and rural communities.
• High-tech emergency response and urban infrastructure: We could build advanced traffic monitoring systems to optimize emergency services and enable first responders to navigate the fastest routes to an emergency. (See Smart Transportation section below.)

Smart Education: Here is where it gets fun and interesting. Data is the element to be “mined,” but human resources are, ultimately, more valuable than data. We can’t maximize our potential unless people can access and use data. So, how can we leverage our young people to help us jump-start a smart county initiative?

• Digitally link every school system (public and private schools, and our community colleges and universities) so that they can share best practices, have access to the same resources, and enable students to connect and collaborate across the artificial boundary lines.
• We launch a new mining tradition in the metro area by “mining” our local middle schools, high schools, and post-secondary institutions.
• How do we then train, build, and deploy this new workforce to help implement a smart county?
  • • Test students in multiple ways to uncover hidden talents and “intelligences.”
    • Conduct competitions for these young entrepreneurs, social media geniuses, and app builders.
    • Develop numerous programs tailored to young people with the potential to thrive in the emerging economy. Here are a few examples of existing programs:
      • • TechAlabama: Affiliated with TechBirmingham, It encourages youth to explore technology and pursue STEM careers through various programs and initiatives.
        • Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (Huntsville): A public, tuition-free magnet high school; its focus is cybersecurity and engineering education for students across Alabama.
        • America On Tech (AOT): This is a national nonprofit organization that equips youth from underrepresented communities with tech education and workforce readiness.
        • Connected Nation’s Teens Teach Tech (powered by AT&T): This is more than just a community service project—it’s a pathway for teens to learn, lead, and support the development of digital skills for adults. (Note: On 4/24/25, Altamont High School Senior Michael Schmalz received the CN 2025 Student Broadband Hero Award. They’ve only given out four national awards in 24 years of service, and this was the first given to a student.)

• • We would also hire these young people to build apps and local social media platforms, train adults in their communities, and create a system of just-in-time video snippets to help citizens navigate the new system.
  • Establish regional incubators to nurture entrepreneurship among children who demonstrate exceptional potential. Experts help them create new companies. (Companies less than four years old are the primary sources of new job creation in the U.S.)

By incorporating such initiatives, we could add hundreds of new high-tech jobs in the next few years. These young people could also help us empower our underutilized workforce.

Approximately fourteen percent of Jefferson County’s 670,000 citizens live in poverty. The kids could train thousands of adults who would then be better qualified for better-paying, clean, tech jobs.

Other Smart County Initiatives: (Many components currently in use.)

Smart Transportation: Advanced traffic management systems, consisting of smart sensors and real-time data analysis, can help to optimize traffic flow and reduce congestion. Sensors monitor the safety of bridges, intersections, and crosswalks. Local crowdsourced apps (similar to WAZE) can, for example, assist drivers with available parking, report potholes, and reduce emissions.

Smart Water Management: Employ sensors, automation, and data analysis to improve the system’s efficiency and sustainability. Remotely monitor water usage, detect leaks, optimize pressure, manage water quality, direct wastewater collection and treatment, and finally, manage stormwater.

Smart Energy: Use technology and data to optimize energy consumption, distribution, and generation for efficiency and sustainability.  We can create a dynamic, responsive, and data-driven energy system. Examples of that technology include smart grids, smart meters, and high-tech battery energy storage systems.

 Smart Waste Management: There is no reason we can’t combine regional expertise and resources to create a central, high-tech recycling center. Such a venture makes sense environmentally and would produce a considerable amount of valuable data.

Archaeologists analyze the garbage of ancient civilizations to gain a deeper understanding of how they lived and worked. There is gold in that trash! Data collected from the recycling process leads to better waste management practices, improves recycling efficiency, and contributes to a more sustainable circular economy.

Smart Public Safety: Many Birmingham-area municipalities already utilize many of these components. Smart public safety measures include predictive policing and crime hotspot identification, cloud-enabled environmental monitoring and disaster preparedness, intelligent traffic management, and gunshot detection systems with automated alerts. These are high-tech examples of what should be standard throughout Jefferson County.

Smart Governance and Citizen Engagement: Transparency is a key component of a smart county. Technology should enable citizens to participate, provide input, and monitor government performance. We need to expand e-government services, including permits, licenses, and feedback forums. Citizens should be able to file complaints or register businesses in a secure environment.

Smart Neighborhoods: Jefferson County’s environmental progress in the past few decades is remarkable. For example, once-flood-prone and polluted creeks—Shades, Village, Turkey, Valley, and Five Mile—are now clean and surrounded by parks, greenways, and trails. The Cahaba River, which winds for 25 miles through the County, provides drinking water and recreational opportunities and is one of the most biodiverse rivers in the country. (However, pollution challenges remain.)

Jefferson County Greenways manages approximately 3,000 acres of green space, including Ruffner Mountain and Red Mountain Parks (former mine sites), and Turkey Creek Nature Preserve (once an environmental mess). The City of Birmingham manages over 100 parks, covering almost 4,000 acres. The centerpiece, Railroad Park, is owned by the City and managed by a private foundation. Fantastic progress!

How can we move our neighborhoods to the next level? Where there is blight and pollution, get rid of it for good. Eliminate food deserts by establishing localized cooperatives, community gardens, and vertical gardens. (And, as suggested by recent ComebackTown guest blogger Daniel Christiansen, loosen zoning laws in neighborhoods.)

We could replace substandard homes occupied by one or two residents with communities of high-tech tiny houses–in urban and rural areas. Tiny homes also offer a great alternative to traditional shelters for people experiencing homelessness, including veterans. If we build support services into these communities, we’ll establish ramps to stability and integration.

Goldilocks metro area—not too big & not too small

How would such a vast project be funded?

Who are the major players and stakeholders?

I’m not sure, but that information is out there—and the most prominent documents seem to be those published by Deloitte in recent years. Those are community-based decisions. I am just trying to start a conversation!

With a sustained, imaginative effort, Jefferson County could move ahead of other U.S. metro areas and become the national leader.

Our size is perfect—not too big, not too small.

We could even train other metro areas on how to become “smart.” If such an initiative gets big enough, we might even find a new purpose for the Birmingham-Southern campus.

Building a smart county would unite us in ways we never dreamed possible.

We have the means to do it.

Do we have the will?

Bill Ivey is a retired coach and History/Government/Economics teacher who has a BS in Business from the University of Alabama and a Master’s degree in History from UAB. He coached basketball and track for 25 years, including a 3-year stint as the women’s basketball coach at UAB. After retiring from the public school system, he founded a nonprofit that assisted young male basketball players who had graduated from high school but had “slipped through the cracks.” He also founded and ran the Birmingham Basketball Academy until 2020. He and his wife Cathy lead the Carolyn Pitts Class for Social Justice (Sunday School), which meets online every Sunday morning.

David Sher is the founder and publisher of ComebackTown.  He’s past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham), and the City Action Partnership (CAP).

Click here to sign up for our newsletter.

Invite David to speak for free to your group about how we can have a more prosperous metro Birmingham. dsher@comebacktown.com