US$50 million challenge to award smartest US city

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) is teaming up with Microsoft billionaire, Paul Allen, to award a combined US$50 million to the smartest US mid-sized city.

To win the DOT Smart City Challenge, cities must create an integrated model that involves data, technology and creativity to shape how goods and people are moved in the future. The US DOT will provide US$40 million to the winning city. To claim the extra US$10 million cities must work alongside Allen’s Vulcan company to implement the idea.

“This is an opportunity for the winning city to define what it means to be a ‘smart city’ when it comes to transportation,” said Anthony Foxx, US Transportation Secretary. “We encourage cities to develop their own unique vision, partnerships and blueprints to demonstrate to the world what a fully integrated, forward-looking transportation network looks like.”

The challenge follows on from the department’s February report that reveals the country’s ageing infrastructure is not equipped to deal with a growing population, particularly in mega regions.

Mid-sized cities of between 200,000 and 850,000 people can submit their vision of a Smart City by 4 February, 2016. Five finalists will then be announced in March 2016 to compete for the prize in June 2016.

“Transformative innovation takes ambitious support from both the government and the private sector,” said Barbara Bennet, President and Chief Operating Officer, Vulcan Inc. “That’s why we’re partnering with the DOT to inspire innovative, scalable, proof-of-concept solutions to address some of our planet’s most urgent challenges.”

Cities are invited to submit ideas that address or enhance community through innovation and data-driven platforms. Specifically, these innovations will connect people, vehicles, public transport, and infrastructure through ITS, sharing economy, and other technologies that improve the way Americans move.