The Role of Business in Smart Cities

When these kinds of innovations are done best, they are often the result of cooperation between government and the private sector…

In Columbus, Ohio, we asked the public sector and the business community to put interests aside and bring community interests to the table. When Columbus won the $50 million U.S. Smart Cities Challenge, private employers, represented by the Columbus Partnership, invested $12 million to partner with the city of Columbus to co-lead Smart Columbus, a regional smart city initiative that is focused on leveraging technology to improve transportation. Columbus Partnership’s original commitment to match the grant with $90 million of aligned investment from 22 local partners has since grown to more than $520 million. Beyond financial support, the region’s largest employers have banded together to use their influence to promote a more sustainable and equitable transportation ecosystem.
More>>