U.S. Infrastructure Financing for Cities Task Force Launched

On April 17, the United States Conference of Mayors and the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) announced the launch of the Infrastructure Financing for Cities Task Force (IFC Task Force) that will address critical issues facing American cities. Thus far, 17 mayors with a combined constituency of more than 17 million people have joined the IFC Task Force. Collaborating with CGI – which brings together leaders from business, government, labor, and civil society to address the world's most pressing challenges – the mayors will explore solutions to current obstacles to public infrastructure investment, look at existing models of leveraging private capital to finance projects such as road and water system improvements, and deliberate innovative investment models such as the creation of an urban infrastructure bank.

America's Infrastructure Graded a D+

Every 4 years, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) releases a Report Card for America’s Infrastructure that depicts the condition and performance of U.S. infrastructure in a simple school report card format by assigning letter grades to each of 16 categories. The 2013 Report Card provides a comprehensive assessment of current infrastructure conditions and needs along with recommendations for improvement.

Managing Infrastructure Through One Platform ... Enabling the Cities of the Future

Touch magazine is a Microsoft industry publication covering public sector activity within the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region. It offers insight into advances being made by Microsoft and its partner ecosystem. The Spring 2013 issue's article "Urban Innovation" by Karen McCandless takes a look at the technology and innovation driving the development of cities of the future.

 

Smart City Progress Report: North America

According to Eric Woods of Navigant Research:

"The smart city label may be less common in North America than in Europe and Asia, but North American cities are looking to technology to improve the quality of public services and boost local economies. U.S. and Canadian cities are also matching their counterparts around the world in setting ambitious sustainability targets."

Read Eric's complete point-of-view piece on the Smart Cities Council website - it identifies several areas where North American cities are driving technology innovation: Smart City Progress: North America

Invensys is an Associate Partner of the Smart Cities Council.

World's Longest High-speed Rail Line Operates on ArchestrA System Platform

In China, more than 220 railway stations across 15 high-speed rail lines are controlled by Invensys software. When the China Ministry of Railways' nation-wide system is completed in 2020, more than 800 stations will be running on Invensys technology solutions throughout a 12,000-kilometer (7,500-mile) rail network.

Combining Transportation and Facilities Management elements on a large scale, this story includes the following successful results:

• The Wonderware System Platform and Wonderware InTouch HMI solution allows the integration of 60 different third-party vendors into each station's Passenger Information System
• New stations can be deployed as needed and configured in as little as one day
• Operational costs have been lowered because personnel can be reduced or allocated more effectively
• Better visibility to the entire system has led to decreased maintenance costs

Read Success Story (pdf)  |  View Success Story Video

 

Invensys featured as smart city provider in Spain

Barcelona wants to become a people-oriented city, where technology contributes to achieving a greater welfare, quality of life and boosting economic progress.

Located on a former military barracks site south of the city of Zaragoza in Aragón, Spain, Ecocity Valdespartera is a revolutionary social housing project that is putting the environment and the well being of its citizens first.

Please read the story here.