Nov. 23, 2022 1:40p
(WGTD)---When it comes to Smart City applications, not all options worthy of consideration are expensive and out of reach. That’s one of the messages that Peggy James, Interim Director of UW-Parkside’s Center for Research in Innovation and Smart Cities, hopes to deliver at a series of town hall meetings in the Racine and Kenosha areas in the coming days.
The Center has a nearly $90,000 grant to spread the word about smart city applications and gauge public interest and service needs. "This is a chance to learn a bit about smart cities but it's also a chance to give feedback on what I think is a fairly neutral environment about what people are thinking--what are some of the needs and gaps in services that maybe technology can help them answer," James said.
Citing examples in the transportation sector, technology could be used to organize ride sharing or coordinate short-term vehicle rentals, James said. Those transportation-related projects could be more easily achieved, for instance, than waiting for autonomous vehicle technology to develop,. James acknowledged that the City of Racine, Gateway Technical College and UW-Madison have been experimenting with an autonomous vehicle.
The first town hall will be held Thursday, December 1st in Kenosha at Reuther High School beginning at six. Other hearings will be held in Salem Lakes at the Salem Community Library, in Racine at the John Bryant Community Center and in Union Grove at the Graham Public Library.
Click here for the complete list.
Following the hearings, the Center expects to apply for planning grants.
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