Siri, fix Chico.

Like every other average grad student with a soft spot for composting and existential dread, I spend most of my time trying to keep my plants alive and wondering whether my cat understands me. Kitty and I have a quiet rhythm. She stares out the window, I stare into the void of my inbox. But every so often, I like to imagine a better life. Not a richer one. Just... more convenient. Less waiting in line at the DMV. Less “Your package was delivered” when it definitely was not. Less potholes that feel like portals to another dimension.

Basically, I want Chico to become a Smart City.

Now, I know. "Smart City" sounds like the kind of phrase someone at a tech conference says while holding an oat milk latte and silently judging your phone case.

According to this article I read while procrastinating fixing my two Spanish homework assignments, Smart Cities use technology to make life more efficient, more sustainable, and less rage-inducing. The Internet of Things (IoT) is the star of the show here. Tiny devices talking to each other to track traffic flow, monitor energy usage, and probably even gossip about how you never update your software.

Imagine this Chico, 2030. You wake up to sunlight not your alarm because your smart blinds have synced with your circadian rhythm and your Spotify playlist, obviously. You bike to class on a smart bike path that lights up based on real-time traffic patterns and pedestrian movement. The bus app doesn’t lie anymore. The city knows where the bus actually is, and tells you accurately.

And because the city is smart, it’s also kind. Trash cans tell sanitation workers when they’re full. Streetlights dim when no one’s around. Watering systems respond to actual soil moisture, not vibes. And when it rains , sensors reroute traffic away from flood zones in real time. It’s giving efficiency. It’s giving eco-conscious behavior. It’s giving... “I care about the environment but also hate being late.”

Of course, this isn’t about making Chico look like Tokyo, or turning Bidwell Park into a sci-fi theme park with holographic deer. It’s about giving our city a little upgrade. The same way your friend gets a new therapist and suddenly has boundaries and a better skincare routine. Same soul, just slightly more optimized.

Secretary Buttigieg has his transportation goals, and I don’t know if the man has ever been to Chico. But I think he’d like it. It has the potential to be one of those pilot towns where smart tech actually makes a difference. Smaller scale, smaller budget, but big heart. And isn’t that what every good startup pitch deck is made of?

Chico doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs better buses, smarter infrastructure, and a city app that doesn’t crash every time there’s a farmer’s market. With Smart City tech, we could reduce emissions, improve safety, and finally figure out what happens to the recycling after it gets picked up.

So no, I’m not suggesting we put microchips in the squirrels or turn the Esplanade into a self-driving car track. But I am saying maybe it’s time Chico got a little smarter. For the environment. For efficiency. For Kitty.

And okay, maybe for me too.