Partnership speeds West Hollywood’s smart city projects
10 April 2022
The City of West Hollywood contracted with Black & Veatch before its projects began to ensure fast-moving smart city solutions.
Guided by its smart city plan, the City of West Hollywood (WeHo) in California began to implement projects that would help it become a ‘city of the future’. But like many communities, WeHo was busy and needed support in the form of technical expertise to integrate multiple smart city technologies into the built environment. This could have stalled progress, but WeHo proactively established a procurement pathway that provided access to a bench of technical experts before smart city projects were launched.
Through the established Master Services Agreement (MSA), Black & Veatch provided innovation, data, and design services and expertise to advance WeHo’s smart city projects, including electric vehicle (EV) charging.
Efficient procurement
Collaboration is important to solve smart city challenges, but access to essential collaborators is often tied up in procurement red tape and long-drawn-out contracting processes. Black & Veatch estimates a 3-6-month project delay if a city has to backtrack through procurement in order to resolve an unexpected project glitch.
To ensure its projects didn’t lose momentum, WeHo set up an MSA before the project launch, enabling quick access to technical experts, as needed. By pre-qualifying technical experts, WeHo sidestepped a potentially long procurement cycle. This proactive action means WeHo and other smart cities will successfully navigate the complex process of smart technology deployment even if conditions — such as internal staffing or technical aspects — shift over the course of the project.
Working under this MSA, Black & Veatch joined forces with WeHo and provided a range of support — from phone call consultations to fully developed technical solutions. The MSA proved beneficial when WeHo grappled with the interplay between multiple complex technologies related to its EV charging sites.
Complex technology integration
Sustainability and mobility are important elements of WeHo’s Smart City Strategic Plan, and EV charging is a technology that helps advance the plan objectives. Development of EV charging stations involves several weighty considerations, including charging infrastructure technologies, power demand and capacity, and utility coordination. As WeHo moved through development, they realised that the intricacies of EV design necessitated expert collaboration. Working through the MSA, WeHo engaged Black & Veatch who quickly joined forces with WeHo to help navigate the complexities of EV charging design. As engineer and designer, Black & Veatch:
- Reviewed contractors’ permit applications on behalf of WeHo to ensure sound electrical engineering and design
- Served as WeHo’s advocate during specific EV charging programme development
As a testament to a successful engagement, WeHo trusted Black & Veatch to continue the evolution of its EV planning by issuing a work order under the MSA to help implement the city-wide EV charging plan.
Fast-moving smart solutions
Cities that collaborate are the first to create best practices and shareable assets that benefit their smart city programmes. In the end, the collaborative city will have an innovative and vibrant community, whereas cities who try to solve problems alone unknowingly walk a slower path to innovation and citizen-centric city functions.
Regardless of which technologies a city wants to deploy — from EV charging and connected kiosks to smart buildings and intelligent transportation — they will benefit from a bench of experts.
WeHo contracted with Black & Veatch to deploy its smart city projects. Working with one contractor helps ensure a cohesive solution set, avoid duplication of digital investments, and increases optimisation of assets.
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