Screenshot from ZenCity presentation in front of Pittsburgh City Council Standing meeting on May 12, 2021 Starting last year, Pittsburgh began using a social media monitoring software called ZenCity. The software, used by dozens of municipalities throughout the U.S., analyzes public social media posts to gauge community sentiment about issues related to city government — like coronavirus responses, natural disasters, local emergencies, transit policies, and misinformation. At a May 12 Pittsburgh City Council Standing Committee meeting, the administration of Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto sought council approval of a new $30,000 contract with ZenCity, so the city may continue to utilize the software for another year, with the option to renew next year. According to Todd Smith of Pittsburgh’s Department of Innovation and Performance, the city has been using ZenCity since last year, and because of a “different procurement method,” there was no contract before City Council last year to authorize its use, and was started as a way to gather sentiment around the coronavirus pandemic.