US lawmakers re-introduce smart cities bill

Proposed US legislation which advocates funnelling hundreds of millions of dollars into smart city developments has been brought back before lawmakers. Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, senator Maria Cantwell and congressman Ben Ray Luján have re-introduced the Smart Cities and Communities Act to promote the advancement of smart cities. DelBene says: “Utilising smart technologies to our advantage will allow cities to invest in clean infrastructure projects that reduce pollution, create good-paying jobs, and e
May 17, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

Proposed US legislation which advocates funnelling hundreds of millions of dollars into smart city developments has been brought back before lawmakers.

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, senator Maria Cantwell and congressman Ben Ray Luján have re-introduced the Smart Cities and Communities Act to promote the advancement of smart cities.

DelBene says: “Utilising smart technologies to our advantage will allow cities to invest in clean infrastructure projects that reduce pollution, create good-paying jobs, and expand our middle class.”

The bill, originally introduced in 2017, authorises $220 million for smart city investments for over five years and will also:

  • Enhance federal coordination of smart city programmes, including improved reporting and demonstration of the value and utility of smart city systems.
  • Provide assistance and resources to local governments interested in implementing relevant technologies.
  • Develop a skilled and tech-savvy domestic workforce.
  • Improve the quality and performance of smart city technologies while assessing and enhancing cybersecurity and privacy protections.

Tommy Ross, senior policy director at Business Software Alliance, has applauded the decision to re-introduce the bill.

“Smart cities are the future and it’s important that governments have the resources they need to advance workforce development initiatives and enhance cybersecurity and privacy protections for the US economy,” he adds.

UTC

Related Content

  • December 16, 2016
    IBTTA seeks transportation innovation
    IBTTA’s Patrick Jones contemplates the need for, sources of and constraints on transportation innovation. For years now, visionary thinkers and doers in the highway transportation community have been laser-focused on the role of innovation in addressing the most pressing mobility challenges.
    Read More
  • February 21, 2020
    LA commits to ‘decade of action’ on emissions 
    Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti has signed the next phase of the Green New Deal which includes a decade-long commitment to combat emissions in transportation. 
    Read More
  • June 8, 2015
    Sprawl spreads the costs and confines the benefits
    A new report says car-centric planning leads to inefficient cities and divided communities as lead author Todd Litman explains. Between 1950 and 2050 the human population will have approximately quadrupled and shifted from 80% rural to nearly 80% urban; by the middle of this century the United Nations predicts an additional 2.2 billion urban residents in developing countries than there are today. How these cities grow has huge economic, social and environmental impacts and implementing proper policies can c
    Read More
  • June 8, 2015
    Sprawl spreads the costs and confines the benefits
    A new report says car-centric planning leads to inefficient cities and divided communities as lead author Todd Litman explains. Between 1950 and 2050 the human population will have approximately quadrupled and shifted from 80% rural to nearly 80% urban; by the middle of this century the United Nations predicts an additional 2.2 billion urban residents in developing countries than there are today. How these cities grow has huge economic, social and environmental impacts and implementing proper policies can c
    Read More

Highlighted Content