Being a smart city means far more than just catering to economically-advantaged tech-savvy individuals. It’s also about effective use of technology to bridge divides in local communities.
“They were able to connect the problems they identified to specific technology solutions that are measurable,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
With additional local investment, $140 million is now committed to the winning plan submitted by Ohio’s capital, but the other finalist cities will be seeing more federal and private assistance to pursue their visions, too.
Colorado’s capital has running start on putting digital technologies to work to address the challenges rapid population growth poses to aging transportation systems.
“Pittsburgh was based on steel and the economy was based upon getting product to market,” says Mayor Bill Peduto. “Our new economy is based upon getting people to workplace.”
“This is not about testing new, shiny-penny technologies that will do nifty things,” the city’s mayor says. “This about using mobility technology to actually address basic problems.”
A city-led team of stakeholders, including UC-Berkeley and tech companies, want to create the “world’s first shared, electric, connected and automated transportation system.”