Final #SmartCityPitch Challenge This Week

Gail Chiasson, North American Editor

Earlier this year, Anthony Foxx, United States Secretary of Transportation, launched the Smart City Challenge in response to the trends identified in the Beyond Traffic draft report, which revealed that the US’s aging infrastructure is not equipped to deal with a dramatically growing population in regions throughout the country.

logo smart city challngeOn Thursday, June 9, 2016, mayors of the seven finalist cities: Austin, Columbus, Denver, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Portland, and San Francisco, will make their ‘final pitch’ for why their city should be selected as the winner of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge.

The winner of the Smart City Challenge will receive up to USD 40 million from the US Department of Transportation to help create a fully integrated, first-of-its-kind city that uses data, technology and creativity to shape how people and goods move in the future.

Sidewalk Labs has been building a new platform called Flow in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation and Smart City Challenge participants. The Flow platform will help cities understand where people want to go and implement new policies to get them there more efficiently, equitably and safely.

The platform has been developed with input from the seven Smart City Finalists, with Sidewalk Labs deploying Flow first in partnership with the winning city at no cost.

The event can be watched via livestream, and you can join the conversation using #SmartCityPitch.


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