April 21, 2017 5:15 p.m. Updated
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has awarded Detroit a $200,000 grant to catalog the town’s community of internet-connected belongings and develop a strategic plan for using these belongings.
Detroit was considered one of six cities that obtained a grant for improvement of methods across the “Internet of Things” or IoT, the tech time period for on a regular basis units and instruments which might be linked to the web.
The Knight Foundation is funding the challenge in an effort to get cities to make use of inter-connected units to enhance city high quality of life, mobility, transportation infrastructure and authorities companies in cities.
Across the globe, there are examples of how cities are utilizing internet-connected units to enhance companies.
In Barcelona, Spain, trash bins include censors that alert rubbish haulers once they’re full and the refuse is able to be collected. Los Angeles is utilizing good know-how to preserve water and power in addition to handle site visitors congestion, in line with the Knight Foundation.
“As cities increasingly use the Internet of Things to reduce costs, increase sustainability and improve services, we need to be acutely aware of its impact — both good and bad,” John S. Bracken, Knight Foundation vice chairman for know-how innovation, mentioned Friday in an announcement. “These cities will help create a model and guidelines for the thoughtful and responsible use of IoT, linking its development to the public’s benefit.”
Detroit’s grant can pay for a guide to catalog the town’s present Internet of Things belongings and determine methods good units can be utilized with present infrastructure, mentioned Beth Niblock, chief info officer for Detroit.
“We’ve got a lot of assets in the ground and we’re trying to see how we can pull those assets together to create a smart cities blueprint,” Niblock advised Crain’s. “We feel like bringing somebody in to help us to put that blueprint together is the most responsible thing to do.”
Niblock has been focused on overhauling Detroit’s once-antiquated municipal authorities info know-how programs since becoming a member of Mayor Mike Duggan’s administration in February of 2014.
The different cities that additionally obtained $200,000 grants from the Knight Foundation are Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, San Jose and Akron, Ohio.
