(cross post-SF Environment newsletter): Why smart cities?
According to climate strategist Boyd Cohen, smart cities use information and communication technologies to be more intelligent and efficient in the use of resources, resulting in cost and energy savings, improved service delivery and quality of life, and reduced environmental footprint – all supporting innovation and the low-carbon economy.
In addition, a 2011 report by the Silicon Valley Smart Grid Task Force made the economic case for deploying a smart city technologies in the Bay Area, concluding that the regional deployment of the smart grid would improve the Bay Area’s energy productivity and grow economic opportunity. For example, smart grid employment in the Bay Area grew 129 percent from 1995 to 2009, compared to the average employment growth of only eight percent across all sectors.
SF Environment’s director, Melanie Nutter, has been on the road this month talking about how San Francisco is on its way to becoming a smart city. From a talk at the California France Forum on Energy Efficiency Technologies, to being a panelist on a smart cities forum at VERGE @ Greenbuild, she has spoken about how technology solutions and increased information sharing hold promise to help us meet our city’s ambitious sustainability goals.
Read the full article/access many links to smart city resources for use in your city.
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