As urban populations continue to grow and digital tools expand at warp speed, cities and public agencies around the globe are looking to new technologies to help manage resources in more sustainable and cost-effective ways. The San Diego region is no exception, where public leaders and organizations have made a priority of connecting the unconnected and incorporating smart cities technologies into planning and operations in order to become more efficient and meet climate action goals.

In response to this global trend, regional business association Cleantech San Diego launched Smart Cities San Diego in 2011 to connect and support public, private, and academic partners in the San Diego region who are making bold moves with smart cities technologies. Driven by progressive initiatives that benefit both the economy and the environment, a number of cities and public agencies across the San Diego region are rapidly emerging as some of the “smartest cities” in North America. From adopting ambitious climate action plans to deploying IoT technologies to making shifts toward advanced energy and transportation and leveraging data in new ways, our region is on the leading edge of making communities more livable and connected.

So, what’s the next step? Working together – across jurisdictional boundaries – to ensure the San Diego region enhances connectively, ensures equality and inclusivity, advances climate action plans, and makes data-driven decisions to accelerate new economic development while creating open, secure, accountable, and transparent processes.

For the San Diego region, this collaborative approach has been key to cementing our region’s position as a leader in the smart cites movement. It has not only attracted exciting new energy-, water-, and cost-saving technologies from global companies to landmark locations across the region, but has also helped build the San Diego region’s reputation as a vibrant test bed for smart cities solutions.