Smart City Challenge

The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced a contest centered around the idea of a “smart city”.  In a video introducing the contest, the Department of Transportation gives examples of things they consider part of a smart city, where “gridlock is gone, driverless taxis deliver you on time to train stations, [and] better roadways and vehicles communicate seamlessly”.  In addition, a focus on mitigating climate change is expected. The DOT is seeking out cities that have populations “between 200,000 and 850,000”.

The winning city will be the beneficiary of $50 million dollars to assist in making their plan reality. $40 million of the $50 million will be furnished by the Department of Transportation itself, with the remaining $10 million in prize money coming from Vulcan Inc, a private company based in Seattle, Washington.  The preliminary applications are due in less than two months, on February 4th.

I think hosting a contest such as the Smart City Challenge is an interesting way to allocate funding for a large-scale and long-term transportation plan.  In a way, it represents a new funding model that is in stride with the smarter cities of the future.  The involvement and investment of a private company also speaks to the complex relationships that are often times required when a city attempts to implement drastic changes to their infrastructure. As with any large planning project, demonstrating the tangible benefits of newer technologies and intelligent transportation systems for everyday people will be a challenge.  Lastly, I’m not sure how I would feel if I was part of group working on smart city proposal, investing time and money into completing a plan for a futuristic version of a city, but coming away without the $50 million in prize money.

Sources: https://www.transportation.gov/smartcity
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/smart-cities-challenge-transportation-prize_56660184e4b08e945ff09aaf