This Is Why Cory Booker Loves Twitter

When he's not busy saving a freezing dog or running into a burning building, Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker may be looking for ways to use technology in his governance.

Speaking at the 2013 SXSW conference, Booker said social media is "a tool in a toolbox of connecting to people, serving people."

"The powerful thing about social media is it sort of transforms the relationship from ... ruler to those being ruled, to really creating a collaborative environment," said Booker, who has more than 1.3 million followers on Twitter and extensively used the social network following Hurricane Sandy.

Booker says the SXSW conference is allowing him to explore everything from urban gardening for engaging kids to technology about traffic flow and patterns.