[Archived] Alexandria Selected for “Safe + Smart Cities” Pilot Project to Improve Resiliency and Efficiency

For Immediate Release: December 16, 2014

The City of Alexandria has been selected by the Chesapeake Crescent Initiative (CCI) for its second "Safe + Smart Cities" pilot program, which provides free services to help localities harden their resiliency and maximize their operational performance through the efficient use of technology.  In particular, the program supports the City’s existing "safe and smart" goals of being a safe and secure community with an effective and well-managed government.

"The CCI pilot project in Alexandria will provide valuable information and unbiased recommendations that can help enhance our communities' resilience, quality of life, and economic growth through technology and innovation," said Governor Terry McAuliffe.

Local officials echoed the Governor's sentiment: "Alexandria is pleased and honored to be selected as a participant in CCI's Pilot Program," said Mayor William D. Euille. "We believe the benefits we will gain in collaboration and partnership with the consulting team will enable our city to enhance its sustainability, resilience, and commitment toward our future growth and success."

CCI is a public-private collaborative founded in 2008 to support technological innovation. Its Safe + Smart Cities coalition comprises a group of world-class experts from technology industries, academia, government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the law, and the financial sector. Through its pilot projects, the coalition provides pro-bono expertise and recommendations to selected municipalities in the mid-Atlantic region.  Recommendations are intended to provide pragmatic and feasible options to help visionary urban communities achieve or exceed their "safe and smart" objectives while also increasing global competitiveness, sustaining regional economic growth, and improving the lives of residents.

The Alexandria pilot project will kick off with a collaborative discovery process to better understand the City's technological maturity, particular risks and vulnerabilities, infrastructure status, and tools available to help implement the City's goals.   The process culminates in a collaborative workshop between the City and the coalition.  Based on the workshop and additional research, the team will produce a Safe + Smart City "blueprint," which will outline major recommendations for improving and integrating critical hard and soft infrastructure functions such as buildings, public safety, energy, transportation, water, wastewater, and information and communication technologies.

CCI's Safe + Smart Cities Coalition includes the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; the law firm of Holland & Knight; academic institutions such as Virginia Tech, the University of Maryland, and the University of Delaware; technology firms such as Cisco, Schneider Electric, AtHoc, Verint Systems, Inc., and Priority 5; the investment firm National Standard Finance; and federal and state government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The ultimate objective of this pilot project is to develop a tangible, actionable and comprehensive Safe + Smart Cities program to improve local governments' routine and crisis operations; expand urban data analysis; create new linkages between community residents; expand participation in government; and model public-private collaboration.

For more information about the Chesapeake Crescent Initiative, visit www.chesapeakecrescent.org.  For media inquiries, contact Leslie Braunstein at info@lhbcommunications.com or 202-656-0542.