Share your smart city ideas with the City of Toronto!

At the end of last year, we shared some information about the federal government’s Smart Cities Challenge. We are now excited to hear that Toronto will be participating!

Not only is Toronto participating, but the City is looking to you to come up with ideas for their application to the competition. This is your chance to share your smart city ideas and help improve the city’s transportation, environment, economy, communities, services, and any other aspects of the region!

"The City has done a lot of work to leverage data and technology to help improve the quality of life in Toronto," says Mayor John Tory in a release. "The Smart Cities Challenge provides us with an incredible opportunity to help make Toronto a smarter city. We want the public to share their ideas for how we can solve big challenges and improve Toronto for everyone."

There is an online survey you can take to share your smart city ideas. If you have a more detailed proposal you want to share with the City, then that’s an option as well. There are also hard copy versions of the survey in Toronto Public Library branches.  

"Smart city initiatives can improve all aspects of livability and opportunity in a city," says Michael Kolm, the City's Chief Transformation Officer. "We're committed to improving public services – now and in the future – and the Smart Cities Challenge will help to inspire new smart approaches to make a difference in Toronto."

Toronto already has many smart city projects in the works, including Sidewalk Toronto, a new partnership with Waze to track traffic data, and new smart traffic lights, so winning this prize will give the City the opportunity to raise the bar yet again!

The application deadline for the Smart Cities Challenge is April 24, 2018, so the City needs your ideas by February 2. Finalists will be announced in the summer and the winners will be announced in spring 2019.

There is a grand prize of up to $50 million for the municipality or Indigenous community that comes up with the best smart city proposal. There are also two prizes of up to $10 million and one prize of up to $5 million.

Looking forward to seeing the City of Toronto’s application to the Smart Cities Challenge!