The city of San Diego and UC San Diego will participate in the newly created MetroLab Network, part of a $160 million Smart Cities initiative announced Monday by President Barack Obama.
MetroLab seeks to create and strengthen partnerships between metropolitan areas and their respective universities to research, develop and deploy technologies to address challenges facing the nation's urban areas. The idea is that universities possess the expertise to develop and implement technology, while city governments hold the knowledge and information necessary for deployment in real-world settings.
"The city is partnering with UC San Diego's brightest minds to solve some of San Diego's biggest challenges, from traffic to parking to infrastructure," Mayor Kevin Faulconer said.
"San Diego leads in research and innovation and this will capitalize on UC San Diego's academic resources to create real-world solutions that improve the lives of city residents," Faulconer said. "The MetroLab Network is a great opportunity to increase collaboration between the educational and civic worlds, and I'm excited to see the results."
The partnership will focus on city and transportation planning, and smart, green infrastructure.
"We look forward to working with the mayor and local communities to tackle our common challenges and improve city services," said UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla.
San Diego and UCSD will share their expertise with other metro areas via the network, which includes 21 cities and around 25 universities.
