DU Campus Gets Smart
Author(s)
Lorne Fultonberg
Writer
Event鈥檚 focus on efficient, sustainable living could build the next great city
The question came to JB Holston early in the day, at an event to create safe, sustainable and accessible campuses and cities: 鈥淚f you build it, will they come?鈥
Students, faculty and major players in the community and tech industry leaned in to hear the answer.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we can build it fast enough,鈥 said Holston, dean of DU鈥檚听
But Holston believes he at least may have found the builders, gathered together in early May at the University鈥檚 first听Smart Campus Open Innovation Session, held on the fifth floor of the engineering building.
Over the course of two days, stakeholders from the campus and greater 黑料门 communities put their heads together, attempting to speed things along. The hope is to design efficient spaces that use technology and data to improve quality of life for their users.
For years, creating a so-called 鈥渟mart city鈥 has been a project undertaken by municipalities around the world.听听since at least 2015. But others in the community have seen projects hit snags, as cities struggle to bring all the stakeholders to the table.
Leaders at DU see the institution as a microcosm of a city 鈥 a place where research, technology and community converge 鈥 and thus the perfect place to develop innovative ideas on a smaller scale. The hope is to discover best practices and provide traction for the smart cities of the future.
鈥淚鈥檓 proud of this event because I think it shows the way for addressing the kinds of issues that we talk a lot about,鈥 Holston said. 鈥淚f we鈥檙e going to be听听[as called for in the听], if we鈥檙e going to be hyper-connected to the community, if we鈥檙e going to be this Grand Central Station for community moving forward in the way that we want to, this is a critical way to do it.鈥
Orbiting white boards positioned around the room, groups at the session tackled issues ranging from energy efficiency to campus safety. Other groups honed in on shortages of accessible parking and affordable housing. At every turn, leaders encouraged active participation.
Those in attendance said they valued the chance to work with other players and decision makers.
鈥淲hat I can take from the summit is the benefit of working in a cooperative setting and working in teams and tackling a problem head-on,鈥 said Holly Hernandez, who is pursuing her master鈥檚 degree in real estate and the built environment. 鈥淚 love that I鈥檓 at a university that is thinking about how to make the campus smarter, better for students, better for faculty. It鈥檚 very thoughtful, and it鈥檚 tremendous to be a part of that.鈥
The next steps are already taking shape,听
Holston says. Partnerships are forming, people are trading business cards, and inspiration is evident. Another event is possible next year.
For now, however, those who attended say they are returning to work with a much clearer picture of the road ahead.
鈥淭his is opening up new eyes to tackle really difficult, challenging problems and be successful,鈥 said Jenni Laput, who works at event sponsor Hitachi Vantara. 鈥淚 see DU as a real mecca around the intelligence around this and the innovation engine to make it happen.鈥
