NEW: Providence ‘Gets Smarter’ with IBM

NEW: Providence ‘Gets Smarter’ with IBM

Mayor Angel Taveras held a press conference today to IBM's selection of Providence for its Smarter Cities Challenge program — a global initiative to make cities more efficient , responsive, and collaborative through the use of technology.

Providence is one of just 24 cities selected to receive as much as $400,000 in technology and services through the IBM grant.

"I want to thank IBM for selecting Providence for this important and well-timed opportunity to explore new ways to use technology to streamline and improve City Government for business, citizens, and the greater good of the community," Taveras said.

The Mayor was joined by Governor Lincoln Chafee, Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Roberts, Director of IBM Corporate Citizenship Jennifer Crozier, Brown University Vice President for Research Clyde Briant, Providence Director of Planning and Development Thomas Deller, and Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Rhode Island President Daniel Egan.

Providence committed to smarter solutions

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"We selected Providence because of its commitment to the use of data to make better decisions, and for its desire to explore and act on smarter solutions to its most pressing concerns," Crozier said.

To create its grant-winning proposal, Providence collaborated with the Ocean State Consortium of Advanced Resources (OSCAR) — a partnership of universities, government institutions, private companies and social agencies designed to tackle statewide problems in health care, education, economic development, energy use and the environment.

"The work that OSCAR stakeholders have done together over the past two years has created a culture of trust that made OSCAR's talented, visionary partners available to the City," said Briant, co-chair of the Consortium. "Because of our culture of collaboration, OSCAR was able to help the City move quickly and flexibly to pursue the IBM Challenge, enter the new economy, and aspire to become a global city."

Will be used for Knowledge District

Through Smarter Cities, Providence will work with IBM and a steering committee of state agencies and other stakeholders to develop a computerized land management system focused on economic development. The system will initially work to develop Providence's emerging Knowledge District —a 300+ acre district including the Jewelry District neighborhood, 20 acres of land being reclaimed by the removal of Route 195, the campus of Rhode Island Hospital and Women & Infants Hospital, and the upper region of the Providence waterfront.

The system will be used to streamline permitting, market land opened up by the relocation of I-195, and track progress in greening the district. Once tested and refined, it can be expanded for use by the whole city and state.

"There will be great benefit to be gained for both the city and the state as we work together with IBM to improve the way we collect information and use it to plan for the best solutions to some of our common challenges," Lieutenant Governor Roberts said.

"Today's announcement and celebration show just how much we can accomplish through collaboration," concluded Taveras.