TheReview_Sept-Oct 2022 Release

What’s to Come Over the course of the next two years, the MiNextCities team will work with local project groups to identify primary issue areas and implement deployment strategies for the smart city technologies selected by each participating city. The team will collect and analyze deployment data and consistently solicit community input to assess the impacts of each technology in real-time. At the end of the program, the metrics, assessments, and lessons learned from Dearborn, Flint, and Marquette will contribute to a smart city’s readiness and deployment guide for cities across the state to utilize when making plans for an equitable and sustainable future. The moment for building equitable, forward-looking, and sustainable cities is here. And with programs like MiNextCities, Michigan cities can lead the way. Kate Bell is a program manager at NextEnergy, where she oversees the MiNextCities program. To learn more, you can reach out to her at kateb@nextenergy.org or visit minextcities.org.

The MiNextCities team was also tasked with incorporating social and environmental justice criteria into the analysis, particularly those aligned with the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council’s Justice40 Initiative that aims to have at least 40 percent of energy, environment, and infrastructure investments accrue to communities historically and disproportionately impacted by adverse climate, health, and economic impacts. Resources including U.S. Census data, the Department of Energy’s Low-Income Energy Affordability Data set, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping tool enabled the team to consider additional factors like linguistic isolation, household income spent on energy costs, and pollutant exposure. The program’s inaugural communities of Dearborn, Flint, and Marquette emerged from this analysis as three cities that represent Michigan’s remarkable diversity of landscapes, residents, and lived experiences. Their participation will sketch out a smart cities roadmap that can provide Michigan cities with best practices for incorporating smart cities technologies into their climate planning activities.

PLANNING DESIGN BUI LDING

Delivering thoughtful solutions.

It all starts with listening. McKenna professionals engage with community officials to identify key opportunities and understand challenges. Our team works with you to develop creative solutions that realize the unique vision of each planning, design, and building project. We provide communities with thoughtful, high quality, onsite and virtual assistance in zoning administration, building, and plan implementation. By tailoring our services to your needs, you benefit from McKenna specialists. Secure the support and resources of the state’s best talent when you need it. With offices in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Northville, we are immediately poised to serve Michigan’s elected and appointed leaders as we look to a brighter 2022.

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Communities for real life.

16 THE REVIEW

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022