In early March, three Georgia communities participating in the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation’s (Partnership) Community Research Grant program were honored with international smart cities awards. Warner Robins’ Citizen Safety Digital Twin for Community Resilience and Woodstock’s Smart Master Plan and Smart Corridor Study received the Intelligent Community Forum’s Smart21 Community Award at the 2024 Taipei Smart City Summit and Expo. Columbus was also recognized as a Smart 20 award winner by Smart Cities Connect for the Digital Twin River Safety Project, with the award ceremony scheduled for May.
“These accolades are a testament to the Partnership’s pivotal role in developing, nurturing, steering, and funding these projects from conception to triumphant completion,” said Debra Lam, the Partnership’s director.
The Warner Robins project aimed to create and test a Citizen Safety Digital Twin for Community Resilience. The project integrated a dynamic license plate reader solution with police department investigation practices to help lower crime rates in the community. Researchers from Georgia Tech and Middle Georgia State University worked with the Warner Robins Police Department to use historical crime data to determine the optimal location and direction to place license plate reader cameras. During the six-month pilot phase of the project, the data helped recover 27 stolen vehicles and solve three major crimes which included a shooting and two homicides.
“It’s one of the best investments we can make as a city because it brings the peace of mind of safe streets, safe communities, safe shopping experiences. The fact that we have our flock cameras in different areas in our city with the smart technology to expand the footprint of our police department helps us solve crime and also deter crime, which is even more beneficial.” Warner Robins Mayor LaRhonda Patrick said.
The Woodstock project originated in 2020 when the city collaborated with the Partnership to develop a master plan and smart corridor study to address the traffic congestion and parking shortages caused by a doubling of the population since 2010.
During the initial phase of the project, the city gathered data from GridSmart installations, which track traffic and turning movements down to the minute. In the second phase, interns from the Partnership analyzed the data to identify ways to integrate it with previously collected traffic volume flows, revealing historical patterns. The aim is to combine the data to make informed decisions about new transportation projects.
“Woodstock is honored to be among this diverse list of communities, and we are proud to represent the state of Georgia with fellow honoree Warner Robins,” said Mayor Michael Caldwell. “The city of Woodstock is committed to improving its citizens’ quality of life through smart technology programs. From transportation systems to innovative infrastructure technology, the city has been boldly pursuing the initiatives of its Smart Master Plan since 2020.”
The objective of the Columbus project is to enhance the safety of swimmers and boaters in the world’s longest manmade urban whitewater course. Past dam releases, whether scheduled or unscheduled, have resulted in flooding, limited time for evacuations, and drownings. To address these challenges, researchers from Georgia Tech and Columbus State University created a digital twin of the river, which helped them develop technology that can predict changing water levels, detect humans in the water, and alert authorities to take necessary actions.
“While winning the award is awesome, the impetus was to promote river safety and provide real-time SMART solutions that save lives,” said Dr. James Forrest Toelle, information technology director for Columbus Consolidated Government, and the project manager for the digital twin project. “None of it would have been possible without the tremendous partnership with Georgia Tech, the Partnership, and our local fire department.”
“It was an incredible opportunity for us to develop public safety Digital Twins together with collaborators in Columbus and Warner Robins,” said John Taylor, Frederick Law Olmsted Professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, “and it is particularly rewarding to see the research being implemented to help save lives and reduce crimes in communities. These smart community awards are an important recognition of the forward-thinking vision and dedication to public safety of these communities.”
Valdosta has recently won three international awards, after being selected as a finalist in the 2021 World Smart Cities Awards in the Mobility Category. The city was recognized for its Traffic Monitoring and Communication System to Improve Safety, Connectivity, and Efficiency project which has significantly reduced the time it takes for first responders to travel across the city. This recognition is a testament to the city’s efforts in enhancing safety and efficiency for its residents.
“These projects exemplify the transformative power of technology and community engagement in creating safer, more enjoyable, and more resilient communities,” Lam said. “This success rate is a clear indicator of our role in nurturing a vibrant ecosystem for innovations—placing Georgia firmly on the map for smart cities.”
