Aurora, IL
Source: StateTech
Main use cases: Data analytics, broadband, public safety
Population: 197,757 (2019 estimate)
Key players: Mayor Richard Irvin, CIO Michael Pegues
What are the city’s main smart city priorities?
Instead of having a discrete area of the city to test out smart city technologies, Aurora sees the entire breadth of the city as the area for its “innovation district.” That is the heart of the city’s long-term strategic effort, called Smart Aurora.
Before the end of the year, according to CIO Michael Pegues, the Aurora City Council is expected to vote on and hopefully approve a $300 million capital investment from the investment firm Smart City Capital to create a massive public-private partnership. What innovations will that investment buy?
First up: more intelligent city services powered by data analytics. That includes smart parking decks to direct users more easily to open spaces, smarter traffic signals, sensors to provide data on pavement temperature so that the city knows how best to deploy services, and more efficient water utility management.
Another key aspect is the expansion of fiber-optic broadband connections. The city already has 120 miles of fiber-optic cable in the ground but wants to expand that to 645 miles. That will help close the digital divide in the city and attract business investment, according to Pegues.
Aurora is looking to attract $300 million in investment to turn its entire city into a smart city test bed. Source: City of Aurora, Ill.
“We need to start looking at fiber connectivity, broadband accessibility, the same way we look at gas, water, and electricity — and then you’ve got fiber as a fourth utility,” he says.
The third piece of the puzzle is public safety, which became a higher priority following a February 2019 mass shooting in the city in which five people were killed. Aurora wants to construct a real-time crime center in 2021 that will enable more evidence-based, data-driven policing. That includes the deployment of video surveillance systems, gunshot detection sensors, license plate recognition technology and a smarter traffic routing system. Pegues says these tools will give the city’s police department “enhanced situational awareness” to respond more quickly.
How has the pandemic affected Aurora’s smart city plans?
The pandemic accelerated Aurora’s smart city plans “in a positive direction, actually,” says Pegues, and “solidified the need for smart cities” and new ways of thinking.
According to Pegues, there were some city leaders who wanted to put smart city programs on hold, but Mayor Richard Irvin pushed back on that idea. Irvin, according to Pegues, said, “What we’re seeing right now is the need for a smart city. So, you know, what I want to do is push this forward even faster.”
We’re not going to say that we’re the smartest city in America and things like that. But what we are saying is we’re going to learn to be the smartest.”
Michael Pegues CIO, Aurora, Ill.
What needs are being addressed through technology?
There are several needs that Aurora aims to address through its smart city approach, Pegues says, including better-run city services that save taxpayers time and money. That includes faster flowing traffic and more efficient wastewater treatment, which can lead to rebates for residents. Another is faster response times for public safety services. And a third is attracting economic investment in startup development by being an innovation sandbox.
What’s next for the city?
If the city council approves the $300 million capital investment, the plan is to start the buildout of more fiber to eventually cover all of Aurora’s 6,400 homes and businesses. Another project on the docket is a citywide smart parking service. Construction of the real-time crime center is slated to start in 2021.