FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Alex Rubio
(210) 207-2098
Alex.Rubio@sanantonio.gov
Liz Enbysk
202-650-0023 x118
Liz.Enbysk@SmartCitiesCouncil.com
San Antonio (April 5, 2017) – The City of San Antonio’s Office of Innovation held a full-day Smart Cities Readiness Workshop on March 21 to discuss and develop a roadmap to guide San Antonio to a Smart Cities future.
San Antonio City Council approved funding to support smart city initiatives in the areas of transportation, sustainability and digital connected living. These initiatives help residents enhance livability, workability, sustainability, and resilience using information and communications technology. Becoming a smart city allows digital transformation to take place in a socially inclusive way that also strengthens business opportunities in the city where it’s implemented
More than 100 participants attended the workshop, including a dozen city departments, VIA Transit, San Antonio Water System, San Antonio River Authority, CPS Energy, Joint Base San Antonio, local chambers of commerce, non-profits, universities and leading smart cities solutions providers. Discussions included guiding principles and best practices for an integrated and cross-cutting smart city. The workshop was delivered by the Smart Cities Council, whose partners and advisors have contributed to more than 10,000 smart cities projects internationally.
“The Smart Cities Readiness Workshop is an opportunity for San Antonio to showcase its current Smart City efforts and keeps our community moving forward in innovation,” said José de la Cruz, Chief Innovation Officer for the City of San Antonio. “Conducting a workshop with the Smart Cities Council and local partners allows us to begin to collaborate and build stronger relationships across industries using the Smart City initiative.”
Current smart city initiatives are focused on reducing traffic congestion, improving pedestrian safety, providing access to Wi-Fi, increasing LED street lighting in city neighborhoods, improving emergency response with the use of drones in fire operations, and enhancing customer service through the use of 311 and Parks mobile apps, and community kiosks.
During the workshop, key action areas were prioritized along with supporting strategies and potential leadership roles. Six workshop tracks addressed the following topics:
- Smart Transportation
- E-Government and Open Data
- Smart Water
- Smart Energy
- Workforce Development and Digital Inclusion
- Sustainability
The findings from the workshop were recorded in detail and will be further analyzed and refined by San Antonio’s Office of Innovation. The City will continue to develop its Smart City roadmap as this workshop provided an important opportunity to receive ideas and identify support from a wide range of regional stakeholders.
###
About the City of San Antonio
Diverse, internationally connected and globally competitive, San Antonio has a vibrant culture and economy and is consistently ranked among the fastest-growing cities in the United States. America’s seventh-largest city offers opportunities in industries ranging from bioscience, financial services, aerospace, cybersecurity, energy, transportation and manufacturing to healthcare. In 2016, San Antonio was named an All-America City by the National Civic League. We are “Military City USA,” home to crucial military commands supported by a patriotic citizenry. We welcome 32.5 million visitors annually who inject $13.4 billion annually into our economy, and UNESCO recently designated the city’s Spanish colonial missions as a World Heritage Site. Celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2018, San Antonio is a city with a storied past and an even brighter future. For more information, visit www.sanantonio.gov.
About the Smart Cities Council
Launched in 2012, the Smart Cities Council is the author of the internationally recognized Smart Cities Readiness Guide, which provides guiding principles and best practices for an integrated, cross-cutting smart city. The Readiness Guide – which was developed based on input from hundreds of cities and solution vendors and has been applied all over the world – is the framework used to produce Readiness Workshops and Smart Cities Week conferences. The Council is comprised of more than 120 partners and advisors who have generated $2.7 trillion in annual revenue and contributed to more than 10,000 smart cities projects. To learn more, visit www.smartcitiescouncil.com.
