https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Events
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • Subscribe to GovPro
    • Manage GovPro Subscription
    • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
acc.com

Commentaries


Commentary

Open data must “lean in” for smart city growth

Open data must “lean in” for smart city growth

PlanIT Impact Founder Dominique Davison explains the roles open data can play in sustainable design and smart city improvement.
  • Written by contributor
  • 1st March 2017

By Dominique Davison

Population growth and the resulting demands on infrastructure in the world’s biggest metropolitan areas brings new challenges to designers, planners and architects who are collaborating with city and county government to usher in the future sustainably.  

In all metro areas of the United States, the escalating cost of delayed infrastructure maintenance as well as limited financial and environmental resources — such as significantly decreased rainfall in western states — drives the need to design environmentally resilient yet economically feasible modern cities. 

This begins with smart city and building planning that can more accurately, reliably and rapidly provide data. It also requires an attendant efficiency scoring system that addresses efficiency concerns like the use and cost of water, electricity and fossil fuels. It must also provide metrics on smarter placement of stores, transportation and other resources.

Municipalities demand that developers and builders meet adopted energy goals. However, the current planning, design and building process often makes it difficult and costly to integrate sustainable strategies in new and renovated buildings and to gauge compliance in the early phases of design. 

This means that design and engineering professionals consistently struggle with integrating sustainable design solutions, as they cannot easily or cost-effectively justify or reconcile the potential cost premiums associated with sustainable designs. E.g. would it be cost justified to use solar panels for a new building’s entire roof?   

Building developers and owners seek an ROI, yet the cost premium to develop resiliency often does not yield the most profitable first cost option. Understanding basic life cycle costs has been expensive and time consuming – up until now.

Fortunately, the open data movement can bridge the gap between performance planning, cost justification and desired outcomes for builders and designers.  Open data is any data that can be freely published, used, reused and redistributed by anyone for anyone. Open data information means getting data, sometimes even in real time, that empowers developers while saving time and costs.

Being published by federal and local government entities as well as private companies, open data is helping to drive key information for builders. This wealth of data impacts the majority of design concerns related to energy, water, transportation and geographic location.

But having an ocean of data will not bring home the system and scores required.The next challenge is to integrate it with best practices. Here are some key design examples:

  • Stormwater Infiltration quantifies the overall perviousness of a site and amount of rainfall based on weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It also includes site area, composition/area of site surfaces and exemplifies the application of the system to see potential impact on city utility infrastructure.
     
  • Energy Savings  return the savings in dollars per year from energy improvements to the project based on planned use compared to code minimums, based on your utilities local rates.
     
  • Water Usage returns a water savings score based on planned and standard water usage calculations, as well as expected simple payback of those efficiency improvements.
     
  • Transportation Access represents an average score of U.S. Census data and Transportation and Walkscore.com data, as walkability and connectivity via transportation options is a growing priority for communities.
     

The result is that a holistic data model is conceived with anticipated energy savings that steer optimal and budget friendly outputs.

The evolution of open data is in its early stages. It will play an expanding role in resilient, sustainable design and building, helping our industry make good on the vision for tomorrow’s smart cities, buildings and homes.

 

Dominique Davison, AIA LEED APtm, is the founder of PlanIT Impact, a cloud-based, resource assessment tool whose goal is to make sustainable design and planning more accessible, affordable and achievable. 

Tags: Smart Cities & Technology Commentaries Commentary

Related


  • Florida county announces successful test of Motorola Solutions’ cloud-based P25 core technology
    A Florida county recently announced the completion of a successful test of Motorola Solutions’ CirrusCentral Core, the cloud-based secondary core for ASTRO 25 P25 systems that is designed to provide redundant reliability to the land-mobile-radio (LMR) network without the costs associated with a physical secondary core site. In Sumter County, Fla., the absence of a […]
  • Person working on laptop computer
    Embracing digital within local government in 2021
    While COVID-19 has brought on a litany of challenges, it has also shown government leaders the need to employ the right digital solutions for their constituents
  • FirstNet Authority releases new details about impact of Nashville explosion on broadband system
    Public-safety subscribers to FirstNet responding to the Dec. 25 massive explosion near the AT&T network hub in Nashville experienced a four-hour outage when some services were not rerouted prior to deployable cell sites becoming operational at the scene, according to a FirstNet Authority blog. Released Friday evening, the FirstNet Authority blog reiterated several facts previously […]
  • In challenging year, working with public safety to move FirstNet forward
    It has been a challenging year for the nation, especially for the first responders who are on the front lines of wildfires, hurricanes, and the COVID-19 pandemic. During this historic year, the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) remained committed as ever to helping first responders save lives and protect communities. As part of our […]

Related Content

  • Modernizing state and local IT to meet new demands and drive long-term financial efficiency
  • Despite budget squeeze, state and local governments must shore up cyber posture
  • Responding to ransomware: Questions government business and tech leaders should ask
  • Public safety transitioning to LTE-based solutions, but PTT timetable still unclear, speakers say

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

The latest episode The Young Leaders Podcast focuses on Cyril Jefferson. Cyril is the youngest African American to… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

27th October 2020
AmerCityCounty

Hillsboro, Oregon is pioneering a new #renewableenergy generation technology through a partnership with… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

27th October 2020
AmerCityCounty

The impact of the #COVID19 pandemic on #telework was swift and profound. Now, the big question is whether – and to… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

26th October 2020
AmerCityCounty

Get ready for the can't-miss webinar on how to kickstart your efficiency improvement plan with Luke Anderson of… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

26th October 2020
AmerCityCounty

Among all states headed into the 2020 general election, which ones have voting populations that are the most demogr… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

26th October 2020
AmerCityCounty

We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts in our readership survey to help us shape future content so that we c… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

23rd October 2020
AmerCityCounty

See how cities different approaches to distribute masks in their communities >> spr.ly/6010GAPLa

23rd October 2020
AmerCityCounty

While #facialrecognition is a powerful tool that can improve law enforcement efficiency, that doesn’t necessarily t… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

23rd October 2020

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X