The Institute - September 2019 - 6

IEEE
Smart Cities
Initiative:
HELPING
MUNICIPALITIES
MODERNIZE

HERE ARE NOW HUNDREDS OF CITIES-large and small-that are
working to improve their livability by using resilient communication networks, data analytics, sensors, and other technologies. Others want to
smarten up but just don't know how to go about it. IEEE's Smart Cities Initiative aims to help them. The multidisciplinary effort provides city leaders and others
with credible, unbiased technical information and educational content developed by
IEEE global experts. The organization's Communications; Control Systems; Industry
Applications; Power & Energy; and Systems, Man, and Cybernetics societies as well
as the IEEE Council on Electronic Design Automation provide technical expertise.

TI-6

SEP 2019

THE INSTITUTE

"We bring together academics, industry professionals, and other folks who
can identify the opportunities and challenges from a technical perspective and
then work on developing best practices
and technical standards," says IEEE
Member Patrick Graves, who chairs the
IEEE Smart Cities committee.
Senior Member Shaghayegh "Shay"
Bahramirad, the IEEE Power & Energy
Society's vice president of new initiatives and outreach, who oversees the
effort globally, says what differentiates
IEEE from other organizations involved
in smart-city programs is its "unbiased
perspective of technology and policy."
The society is coordinating the initiative's efforts.
"Partnering with IEEE Smart Cities is
a great way for cities and institutions to
take advantage of the expertise being
made available, and lessons learned
from different jurisdictions to help
them make better decisions," Bahramirad says.
Bahramirad, who works for ComEd,
an electric utility in Chicago, and Graves,
who formerly worked for ComEd and
now works for parent company Exelon,
are involved with projects to make the
Windy City and other municipalities
they serve smarter.
Bahramirad, vice president of engineering and the smart grid, is working
on developing a more modern grid.
In his current role as cofounder of
Exelon's sustainable-communities
initiative, Graves is developing ways
to leverage the company's capabilities
and resources to help communities
meet their sustainability objectives.
DISTINCTIVE NEEDS

Dozens of cities have engaged with
the initiative, including Buenos Aires,
Cape Town, and Kansas City, Mo. Each
municipality is unique in terms of the
challenges it faces, the assets it has, and
its goals, Graves says. There is no "one
size fits all" solution.
Some cities want to reduce traffic
congestion and lower energy costs,
ILLUSTRATION BY

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The Institute - September 2019

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