City Forward is a philanthropic donation of services and technology from IBM, which applies expertise and technologies to offer insight into specific metropolitan issues. IBM recognizes the value of building a smarter planet, starting with building smarter cities. The future of our cities depends upon the boundless energy and insights made possible when people work towards common goals and understanding. City Forward helps do just that by enabling a greater understanding of the challenges our cities are facing.
Smart Systems: Using Data to Find New Space in an Old World
The water system that serves the U.S. capital city of Washington, D.C. dates back to the nation’s civil war. Just think - in the time of Lincoln people dug into the ground with hand-made shovels to lay a water system.
Today, that 19th century water system for the District of Columbia is now arguably one of the smartest in the world.
Why? Those water pipes are now fitted with sensors that analyze data on valves, storm drains, service vehicles and truck routes.
read the full story:
http://www.readwriteweb.com/enterprise/2011/02/finding-new-space.php
By Dave Bartlett
At a recent staff meeting, a CFO asked his team why some buildings the company owned were more cost effective, with lower energy bills, than others. His employees started to throw out recommendations of how to address the high-cost buildings, including consolidating their workforce or simply rebuilding. The CFO’s attention was caught, however, by the response of a younger staff member, “If we want to understand the root cause….why don’t we start by asking the buildings?”
http://blogs.forbes.com/ericsavitz/2011/02/25/our-office-buildings-are-talking-to-us-time-to-start-listening/
A worker at the Cape Fear Public Utlity Authority in North Carolina inspects a nano filtraton system.
IBM is working with the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) of Wilmington, N.C. to improve the efficiency and sustainability of its water and sewage systems using location-based intelligence to improve service for its 67,000 customers.
