Georgia Tech Partners with City of Atlanta and Georgia State in New MetroLab Network

Posted September 15, 2015

The Ivan Allen College Center for Urban Innovation has a key role in Georgia Tech's participation in a new 25-city MetroLab Network, which aims to increase collaboration to improve American cities.

The Georgia Institute of Technology, City of Atlanta, and Georgia State University will be the founding members of the MetroLab Network, as announced at the White House Smart Cities Forum on September 14. The goal is to research, develop, and deploy new technologies to address challenges in the nation’s urban areas.

One of 25 city-university partnerships, Smart Cities will direct $160 million toward helping local communities tackle key challenges such as reducing traffic congestion, fighting crime, fostering economic growth, managing the effects of a changing climate, and improving the delivery of city services.

The MetroLab Network will provide the opportunity to share successes, address challenges, and build shared platforms for experimentation and data between cities and universities necessary to increase the tangible results of new innovations. 

“For years, various disciplines within Georgia Tech have helped cities throughout the state to develop potential solutions to infrastructure challenges,” said Georgia Tech President G. P. “Bud” Peterson.

“For example, our Center for Urban Innovation supports interdisciplinary research on urban sustainability, and partners with other groups. The MetroLab Network allows us to take this work to a new level as we collaborate and leverage expertise in the Smart Cities effort.”  

The Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts Center for Urban Innovation is directed by Jennifer Clark, who was in Washington for the announcement of the new initiative.

“The MetroLab Network builds interdisciplinary capacities within universities to address urban issues — particularly the opportunities that emerging technologies provide to shape “smart city” solutions,” said Clark, an associate professor in the School of Public Policy. “At the same time, the MetroLab Network builds and extends institutional capacities within city governments to learn how new technologies create opportunities for enhancing city services, promoting economic growth, and expanding access to all citizens.” 

The MetroLab Network is based on previous successes of technologies developed from established city-university partnerships. These partnerships have produced innovative transportation and water infrastructure projects that have increased the efficiency and reduced the environmental impact of infrastructure systems.

“The City of Atlanta is proud to participate in the MetroLab Network,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “We look forward to leveraging this opportunity to take advantage of our strong university talent base and their extensive experience in technology, engineering, and computer science to develop innovative solutions to some of our most pressing infrastructure and service challenges.”

“As an urban research university, Georgia State is deeply entrenched in Atlanta’s success and in the success of cities around the world,” said Georgia State President Mark Becker. “We welcome the opportunity to work closely with the City of Atlanta and Georgia Tech to find creative solutions to critical societal issues.”

By becoming partners of the network, Georgia Tech will partner with the city and colleagues at Georgia State to collaborate on smart solutions to challenges, not only in Atlanta, but throughout the cities that have partnered in the MetroLab Network. 

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has provided $1 million to support the start of the MetroLab Network. 

More information on the MetroLab Network and its founding partners can be found at metrolab.heinz.cmu.edu and White House MetroLab Fact Sheet.