Devoid of a human population, the Center for Innovation, Testing and Evaluation (CITE) is a planned, privately-operated trial lab for the smart city. The CITE design calls for a small, fully-functioning ghost town.
Sited in a desolate stretch of southern New Mexico, the CITE "SimCity" idea sprung from the drawing boards of Pegasus Global Holdings. The plan had been on hold since 2012, but is now back in the works. "Groundbreaking is scheduled to begin in fall 2015 outside Las Cruces for the Center for Innovation, Testing and Evaluation (CITE), a real-life SimCity that resembles a modest American town with a population of 35,000 people spread over roughly 15 square miles."
Smart systems like AI cars, drone deliveries, smart grids, and next-gen sensors will find a first home in CITE. "The goal of CITE is to provide an opportunity to test large-scale tech experiments in real-world conditions 'without anyone getting hurt,' explains Bob Brumley, managing director of Pegasus."
CITE has given rise to debate among futurists, some doubting whether useful urban tests can be conducted in the complete absence of people. Many urban thinkers are likely inclined to agree.
"The entire costs of the project, Brumley says, will be about $550-600 million in direct investments, with an estimated total of about $1 billion of investment over the next five years [...]."
FULL STORY: Is This Planned Ghost Town the City of the Future?
New R&D City Missing One Key Ingredient: People
In New Mexico, construction will begin this summer on a fully functioning 15-square mile new town, designed "to test everything about the future of smart cities, from autonomous cars to new wireless networks," reports Emily Badger.
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Smart cities technology is well behind schedule, but the technology industry hasn’t given up on new digital solutions, self-driving cars, curb management, and AI-powered systems.
Five Years Later, 'Smart Cities Challenge' Promise Unfulfilled
The "Smart Cities Challenge" paid Columbus, Ohio $50 million to kick start a revolution of urban technology. The revolution never arrived, according to a recent assessment by Wired writer Aarian Marshall.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
California Grid Runs on 100% Renewable Energy for Over 9 Hours
The state’s energy grid was entirely powered by clean energy for some portion of the day on 37 out of the last 45 days.
New Forecasting Tool Aims to Reduce Heat-Related Deaths
Two federal agencies launched a new, easy-to-use, color-coded heat warning system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors.
AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.
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