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Ann Arbor, Mich., Seeks Public Input for Smart City Plan

This city wants to know what its residents think about new tech that involves smart lighting, water meters, parking, autonomous vehicles, traffic monitoring, public safety and environmental monitoring.

(TNS) — The City of Ann Arbor, Mich., is hosting meetings to seek public feedback to develop a plan to be on the forefront of connecting various transportation networks.

Ann Arbor is eyeing Smart City initiatives by building “robust infrastructure,” including connecting the city to a variety of systems that allow remote monitoring and data capturing to “make intelligent business decisions,” according to a news release.

This includes smart lighting, water meters, parking, autonomous vehicles, traffic monitoring, public safety and environmental monitoring.

Meetings are from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, at Cobblestone Farm, 2781 Packard St., and Thursday, Nov. 21, at Ann Arbor STEAM at Northside, 912 Barton Drive.

“Technology continues to evolve at a very fast pace, and the city has been actively planning and building a sustainable and equitable foundation to accommodate Smart City initiatives for many years to come. The Smart City Strategic Plan will formalize the vision, goals, objectives and guidance needed to maintain and improve an innovative and vibrant community,” according to the release.

The meetings include a presentation about what goes into being a smart city, as well as case studies, open group dialogue and brainstorming activities. They end with questions and answers for the strategy development phase.

Anyone unable to attend a meeting can share feedback and questions with the city’s Information Technology Director Tom Shewchuk at tshewchuck@a2gov.org.

Ann Arbor was previously a finalist for “Smart Cities” awards through IDC Government Insights. Ann Arbor was chosen for its partnership with the University of Michigan on connected vehicle testing. Detroit was also among the list of finalists for its chosen for its work on “smart intersections.”

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