16 Apr MetroLab Network Welcomes Four New Partnerships

MetroLab is excited to welcome new members to the network:

• Gainesville, Florida, joining University of Florida (already a MetroLab member)
• Guilford County, North Carolina and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• Wilmington, Delaware and the University of Delaware and Delaware State University
• Tampa, Florida and University of South Florida

MetroLab now includes 44 cities, 5 counties and 59 universities, having more than doubled the number of participating local governments and universities since our launch as part of the White House Smart Cities Initiative in September 2015.  We wanted to share a bit about the new members and the activities that they are up to.

City of Gainesville
The City of Gainesville joins existing MetroLab member, the University of Florida, focusing on three projects related to transportation, health and human services.

One such project, the Gainesville Autonomous Shuttle Project (GAToRS) is developing and deploying an autonomous shuttle to connect the university with downtown Gainesville. The service will address mobility needs downtown by connecting UF and the City during hours where transit service is limited. Another project focuses on working with the community to address para-medicine needs, leveraging behavioral insights.  A final project will develop data interoperability standards for streetlight deployments.

Guilford County + University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Guilford County and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro are joining the network, working on projects focused on housing and homelessness, public safety, and open data.

The Homeless Prevention Eviction Diversion Program Pilot, one of their joint efforts, will work to reduce the displacement of families and individuals from their homes through unfair and unnecessary eviction. Additionally, the partnership will focus on the “Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment” (SBIRT) Pilot and a  effort to develop data-driven responses to the opioid crisis.

City of Wilmington, University of Delaware + Delaware State University
The City of Wilmington joins the University of Delaware and Delaware State University on projects focused on open data, education and public safety.

One project will leverage data analytics to  identify available resources, programs, and services available to children and their families living in low-income, high-need communities in the city of Wilmington. Additional projects including data benchmarking in  Wilmington and data analytics related to transient student populations in the city.

City of Tampa + University of South Florida
Tampa and the University of South Florida are focusing their efforts on public safety, mobility, sensors and open data.

One such project will identify and mitigate transit cybersecurity liabilities and facilitate ongoing cybersecurity information exchange among Florida transit agencies, their vendors, and cybersecurity researchers. Additionally, the partnership focuses on connected vehicles and the use of technology to direct truck traffic flow and compliance in the city.
—-
To find learn more about these projects, or to connect with the researchers, please check out our project library. We wish a warm welcome the new members and welcome them to a growing community of researchers and local government officials focused on leveraging data, technology, and analytics to address public policy and community priorities.