The Next Generation of “Smart City”

When it comes to city governance, management, and planning for the future, the term “Smart City” is being used with growing frequency. But what does it mean? Fundamentally, it entails utilizing sensing technology and data analytics to monitor conditions and better manage assets and resources. Through connected infrastructure, data ranging from water supply to energy usage to parking availability is readily available to equip city leaders, businesses, residents, and visitors with the information required to make informed decisions. The primary objective is to improve residents’ quality of life and the quality of experience for visitors.

The Smart City concept has evolved. In its first phase, it was driven by tech companies. In its second phase, local governments took the wheel. Today, in its third phase, citizens are in the driver’s seat. Increasingly, cities are putting data into the hands of the end-users (citizens) to find creative solutions to some of the most challenging urban issues. As an innovative city, Manchester is poised to be a leader of that third phase and go a step beyond.

By tapping into the knowledge of leaders in industry and education, and the ideas of residents and visitors, Manchester can employ emerging technology and grow to be a stronger, more economically competitive, socially connected, and environmentally responsible city.

Columbus, OH is considered by many to be one of America’s “Smartest” cities. After winning a $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Paul G. Allen Foundation in 2015, Columbus has consistently been a national leader when it comes to developing, testing and implementing new and innovative Smart City technologies.

Smart Leadership: The City of Columbus was ripe for reinvention and leapt at the opportunity to compete in the U.S. DOT Smart City Challenge and created a broad coalition of local support for the initiative. This demonstrated that the City was capable of being proactive and developing the partnerships needed to make their city a national leader. Since winning the initial $50 million, City officials have leveraged the funds into $500 million in Smart City-related funding.

Smart Citizenry: Columbus residents were ready to embrace this reinvention, allowing the City to tap into the ingenuity of its entrepreneurs and, equally as important, Ohio State University. This broad coalition allows for a variety of community engagement techniques, which led to the development of applications that provide mobility assistance for people with disabilities and expectant mothers on Medicaid. This partnership between the City government, private entrepreneurs and academics has created a recipe for success.

Smart Surroundings: Columbus has prioritized a variety of traffic-related strategies meant to make automobile trips more efficient, while also reducing vehicle trips and emissions. These include introducing Smart Mobility Hubs, a common payment multi-modal transportation system, and truck platooning.

Smart Tech & Data: Columbus has led the way on integrating new transportation technology, including introducing six electric autonomous transit shuttles. They are also pioneering a web-based data platform that serves as a single point of data collection and distribution for all Smart City efforts.