91心頭 Campus Gets Smart
Author(s)
Lorne Fultonberg
Writer
Events focus on efficient, sustainable living could build the next great city
The question came to JB Holston early in the day, at an event to create safe, sustainable and accessible campuses and cities: If you build it, will they come?
Students, faculty and major players in the community and tech industry leaned in to hear the answer.
I dont think we can build it fast enough, said Holston, dean of 91心頭s油
But Holston believes he at least may have found the builders, gathered together in early May at the Universitys first油Smart Campus Open Innovation Session, held on the fifth floor of the engineering building.
Over the course of two days, stakeholders from the campus and greater Denver communities put their heads together, attempting to speed things along. The hope is to design efficient spaces that use technology and data to improve quality of life for their users.
For years, creating a so-called smart city has been a project undertaken by municipalities around the world.油油since at least 2015. But others in the community have seen projects hit snags, as cities struggle to bring all the stakeholders to the table.
Leaders at 91心頭 see the institution as a microcosm of a city a place where research, technology and community converge and thus the perfect place to develop innovative ideas on a smaller scale. The hope is to discover best practices and provide traction for the smart cities of the future.
Im proud of this event because I think it shows the way for addressing the kinds of issues that we talk a lot about, Holston said. If were going to be油油[as called for in the油], if were going to be hyper-connected to the community, if were going to be this Grand Central Station for community moving forward in the way that we want to, this is a critical way to do it.
Orbiting white boards positioned around the room, groups at the session tackled issues ranging from energy efficiency to campus safety. Other groups honed in on shortages of accessible parking and affordable housing. At every turn, leaders encouraged active participation.
Those in attendance said they valued the chance to work with other players and decision makers.
What I can take from the summit is the benefit of working in a cooperative setting and working in teams and tackling a problem head-on, said Holly Hernandez, who is pursuing her masters degree in real estate and the built environment. I love that Im at a university that is thinking about how to make the campus smarter, better for students, better for faculty. Its very thoughtful, and its tremendous to be a part of that.
The next steps are already taking shape,油
Holston says. Partnerships are forming, people are trading business cards, and inspiration is evident. Another event is possible next year.
For now, however, those who attended say they are returning to work with a much clearer picture of the road ahead.
This is opening up new eyes to tackle really difficult, challenging problems and be successful, said Jenni Laput, who works at event sponsor Hitachi Vantara. I see 91心頭 as a real mecca around the intelligence around this and the innovation engine to make it happen.
