Giving Compass' Take:

• Chris Teale covers the Results for America's Summit panel and its' discussion on how cities can utilize data and technology to develop communities.

• How can donors support technology initiatives that serve a diverse range of citizens and help a city grow and function efficiently?

• Read how virtual reality can help advance city planning.

Cities can revitalize their economies, improve job training and help bring more people out of poverty if they use data and evidence to meet people "where they are," according to the mayors at a panel Thursday hosted by Results for America.

A data-driven focus has helped New Orleans identify where skills gaps exist among young people, especially as they prepare for the jobs of the future, said New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. In turn, the city becomes an attractive place for businesses to locate. "What we see is that if we do not focus on growing that capacity and closing that gap, then we will not be preparing the residents of New Orleans, the young people of the city, to take advantage of those opportunities and therefore the company having to look outside of the city," she said.

Data driven efforts can be as simple as introducing an electronic tracking system for snowplows, which would give residents information about when their streets will be plowed and help residents know when to clear their cars of snow.

Read the full article about using data to meet the needs of the community by Chris Teale at Smart Cities Dive.