Smart Cities Innovation

"Every community is different, with different needs and different approaches. But communities that are making the most progress on these issues have some things in common. They don't look for a single silver bullet; instead they bring together local government and nonprofits and businesses and teachers and parents around a shared goal." – President Barack Obama

The Memphis Smart Cities Initiative is a cooperative effort between the City of Memphis, the University of Memphis, businesses, and other local agencies to develop applied research into emerging technologies areas that will benefit the Memphis community. Our researchers, partners, and civic leaders are committed to creating an environment that encourages innovation which leads to substantive improvement in the quality every citizen's quality of life. It is our firm belief that the thoughtful integration of technology into the services and resources available to the people of Memphis will set our city apart and lead to even greater opportunities in the future.

As a part of the national Smart Cities Initiative, Memphis is taking part in the MetroLab Networks project. The Network will leverage university expertise to address challenges facing cities and regions across the country. The Network will provide a platform upon which established and emerging city-university relationships can share successful projects, coordinate multi-city, multi-university research efforts, and compete for research and project funding. The founding members have collectively committed to undertaking more than 60 projects over the next year, which will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of infrastructure and services in our cities and communities and increase the productivity and competitiveness of our regional economies. Communities and their university counterparts signing onto the network with a joint letter to the President include:

Atlanta, with Georgia State University and Georgia Tech
Boston, with Boston Area Research Initiative
Chicago, with the University of Chicago
Cuyahoga County, with Case Western University
Dallas, with Texas Research Alliance
Detroit, with Wayne State University
Houston, with Rice University
Madison, with University of Wisconsin-Madison
Memphis, with University of Memphis
Minneapolis & St. Paul, with University of Minnesota
Montgomery County, with University of Maryland and Universities at Shady Grove
New York City, with New York University
Philadelphia, with Drexel University and University of Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, with Carnegie Mellon University
Portland, with Portland State University
Providence, with Brown University, College Unbound, and Rhode Island School of Design
San Diego, with University of California San Diego
San Jose, with San Jose State University
Seattle, with University of Washington
South Bend, with University of Notre Dame
Washington, DC, with Howard University, Georgetown University, and George Washington University