The City of Toronto is asking for the public’s input on how technology and innovation can address some of its biggest challenges.
Toronto is participating in the federal Smart Cities Challenge, a competition open to communities of all sizes, including regional governments and Indigenous communities, which encourages them to think of ways to improve the lives of their residents through connected technology, data and innovation.
Surveys can be completed here. Businesses and individual applicants can also fill out a submission form for formal Smart Cities Challenge submissions. The deadline is Feb. 2.
The city currently has several smart initiatives in progress, including a partnership with the Wave navigation app that provides free access to Toronto’s real-time traffic and road data, a smart signal pilot project, and MyWaterToronto, an online tool that gives residents information about their water use.
The Toronto Public Library hosted a public panel discussion today on the Smart Cities Challenge with Toronto’s chief information officer, chief transportation officer, general manager, transportation services and city librarian.
Prizes for the Smart Cities Challenge include:
- One prize of up to $50 million open to all communities, regardless of population
- Two prizes of up to $10 million open to all communities with populations under 500,000 people
- One prize of up to $5 million open to all communities with populations under 30,000 people
