Peachtree Corners is putting the ‘smart city’ model into practice, taking a methodical approach to introducing new technology and autonomous devices.
A small Atlanta suburb is rapidly becoming a model for the much-discussed ‘smart city,’ but the city may look less futuristic than you imagine, writes Mohar Chatterjee in Politico.
“The 45,000-person city is home to an unusual public innovation experiment. Peachtree Corners’ chief technology officer, who also happens to be the assistant city manager, runs an incubator called Curiosity Lab, which invites private firms to come test out their prototypes in a 500-acre public space called Technology Park Atlanta.” The concept recalls Walt Disney’s goal for E.P.C.O.T. and Larry Page’s idea for the smart city Sidewalk Labs would build: a living community as an innovation lab for new inventions and technology.
With the new technology, Peachtree will also have to navigate the new waters of data privacy and safety. “It’s the kind of place entrepreneurs and civic leaders will need to reckon with as they make their next round of high-tech promises.” The city is proceeding cautiously. For example, “Right now, Peachtree Corners has gone as far as any American city in integrating self-driving vehicles — but the city’s autonomous shuttles still run only in dedicated lanes.”
The city is using the strictest federal standards for data privacy as it encourages home builders in the community to install data-gathering devices. “[Chief Technology Officer and deputy city manager Brandon Branham] said he is aware of the ‘fine balance’ between ensuring data privacy and having a better operational base to deploy citywide IoT technologies.”
FULL STORY: What smart cities actually need
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
Opinion: Criminalizing Homelessness Is ‘Expensive and Shortsighted’
Policies that punish and fine unhoused people for sheltering outdoors, even when other shelter is not available, are the most visible but least efficient ways to reduce homelessness.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.