Columbus, OH unveils playbook on becoming a smart city

Dive Brief:

Columbus, OH has unveiled a playbook for other cities to learn how to become a smart city.
In the Smart Columbus Playbook, the city offers articles, contracts, webinars, case studies and data for other city leaders to leverage and learn from when jumpstarting smart programs and initiatives.
"Through the Smart Columbus Playbook, we’re taking what we’re learning on our streets and in our neighborhoods and sharing that knowledge with cities around the world, so they may benefit from a clearer, more expedient path to becoming 'smart,'" Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said in a statement.

Dive Insight:

Columbus received $40 million in grant money when it won the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge in 2016. It faced some questions last year after it altered the programs for which the money would be used, cutting four projects that had been included in its proposal that won the national competition, however the city has since gained momentum with its smart development and has grown into a model "smart city."

In May, Columbus launched the first version of its smart operating system to analyze and share transportation data from 1,100 different feeds, and over the summer the city opened the Smart Columbus Experience Center where visitors can learn about transportation and sustainability technologies like electric vehicles, while going through interactive exhibits.

The city has also announced initiatives for self-driving shuttles, purchasing electric municipal fleet vehicles, electric taxi funding and a Connected Vehicle Environment program.

Other than funding, one of the most difficult barriers for city leaders and stakeholders to overcome is where to start when advancing toward smart development, and then how to continue the momentum. Each city is different and its residents have different needs, but learning what has and hasn't worked in other places can provide helpful launching points, guidelines and building blocks for other cities, rather than having to randomly guess and test ideas.