Engineering Inc. - September/October 2016 - 28

efficiently. The technology, which spans more than 60 buildings that are 10,000 square feet or larger, generates more than 150,000 data points per building each month. This approach has led directly to a 16.1 percent reduction in energy and more than $17 million in savings. The end goal is a 20 percent reduction in energy consumption. Although much of the smart city focus is on more efficient transportation grids, improved energy utilization and better use of infrastructure and other finite resources, smart city programs can veer into virtually any area, says Greg Yager, senior vice president and service leader for planning/urban design at CallisonRTKL. Programs can involve more efficient ways to handle disaster planning and initiatives such as bike share programs and predictive policing. Moreover, these initiatives increasingly involve publicprivate partnerships and other alternative models and methods, including crowdsourcing and machine learning. "The ability to use real-time data to understand behavior, vehicle flows and many other things can prove transformative," Yager says. Designs on the Future Navigating the smart city space requires new thinking and, in some cases, different expertise, says Matt Lamont, national practice leader for architecture and building engineering at Michael Baker International. "When you look at the pace at which smart technologies are evolving, it can all be a bit overwhelming," he says. The overarching issue, Lamont adds, is how to generate value. "It's ultimately not about the technology; it's about using the technology to build systems and networks that introduce greater efficiencies and cost savings." Yager says three central pieces of the concept-people, planet and profit-can be overlooked. "We want a smart city program to optimize city living, the economy and socioeconomic thus focus on the art of the growth of a city and-at possible," Lyons says. "Sucthe same time-reduce cessful teams must now more carbon emissions," he says. than ever be populated with "We aim to build net-zero cross-functional expertise communities." and people with the ability Beehler believes it's critical to understand and translate to start small but think big. data into real world results." This includes participating Yet, achieving success in in pilot projects and this brave new world also "The world is working with local officials harnessing design and moving forward, means and developers to create engineering tools, such as and engineering BIM. Although many firms innovative neighborhoods. firms must Burns & McDonnell, which already use this software has contributed to a number to design better buildings, move forward. of smart grid initiatives, power facilities and other Smart cities including a U.S. Department infrastructure, not all use aren't a futuristic it to maximum potential. of Energy-sponsored concept-they demonstration project in "It provides a great deal of Kansas City, Missouri, are taking shape insight into how a building typically focuses on issues or other structure operates today." such as cost savings, revenue over time. It can transform MATT LAMONT generation, operational data into an asset manageMICHAEL BAKER INTERNATIONAL efficiencies, sustainability ment tool," Lamont says. and value. "Smart cities are What's more, BIM can still in their infancy," Beehler help embed the digital DNA says. "Are they coming? Absolutely. The into a project that delivers deep and broad challenge for now is demonstrating value insights into the context of a design in and showing how it's possible to make relation to a city, district or neighborhood. money-or save money-using these In addition, Doherty believes that BIM systems," he adds. will soon intersect with machine learnThis may translate into an A/E/C ing and artificial intelligence to speed and firm bolstering skills and improve designs further-and incorporate knowledge, including data the resulting structures into more advanced scientists, technologists smart city projects. and visionaries who Although a wide range of companies, can understand how including IBM, Cisco, Siemens, Schneidevices, APIs, equip- der Electric and GE are already heavily ment, networks and represented and invested in the smart citsoftware translate ies market, there's ultimately no turnkey into better transapproach or single vendor that can supply portation, energy all the pieces necessary to drive an initiaand data systems. In tive forward. In the end, A/E/C firms that many cases, smart city embrace smart cities and build a center initiatives also extend of expertise are better positioned for the to consumer technolofuture, Lamont says. gies-everything from smart At some point, and it's not all that sprinkler systems to smart thermofar away, engineering firms will require stats-that intersect with utilities and expertise and proficiency in the space, or energy grids. they won't be equipped to work on most In order to tap the full potential of projects, he adds. "The world is moving smart cities, engineers and others must forward, and engineering firms must move understand how to build networks-and forward. Smart cities aren't a futuristic incorporate IoT into systems-without concept-they are taking shape today." ■ compromising security or data privacy. "There is an ever-increasing need for peoSamuel Greengard is a business and ple who can bridge the gap between the technology writer based in West Linn, technologists and the business leaders and Oregon. 1.5 $ trillion projected total market value of smart cities by 2020 28 ENGINEERING INC. SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

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