Full-Scale 'SimCity' Will Be Tech Testing Ground

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 [...]."