City is demonstrating thought leadership on broadband as a mode of mobility, leveraging NTXIA guidance to build a world-class smart city ecosystem.
DALLAS, Nov. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA) – a 501(c)3 regional consortium of more than 40 municipalities, agencies, corporations and academic institutions across North Texas with a mission to build the most connected, smart and resilient region in the country – today announced the city of Fort Worth as its newest member. Fort Worth joining NTXIA signifies a major step towards the city's continued commitment to enhancing quality of life, safety, public health and welfare of residents in the region through a data-driven approach.
"Bringing Fort Worth into the alliance further strengthens our regional efforts in broadening smart city growth and economic development across North Texas," said Jennifer Sanders, NTXIA Co-Founder and Executive Director. "We are proud to partner with city leadership who have demonstrated forward-thinking approaches to improving broadband infrastructure, mobility, entrepreneurial development and access to economic opportunities and human services, as well as offering scalable solutions for the North Texas region, as a whole. We look forward to a collaboration that will help maximize the public benefits gained through the development of an interconnected, safe and efficient smart city system."
As the fastest-growing large city in the country, Fort Worth has adopted a systematic and purposeful approach to smart city integration, with broadband integration as a central focus. They implemented a fiber ring to connect city facilities and provide high-speed internet access to underserved neighborhoods, created smart intersections with advanced detection capabilities to improve safety, deployed Distributed Acoustic Sensing for data collection and improved dynamic signage and more. The city also supports the Alliance Texas Mobility Innovation Zone (The MIZ) as a designated tech space that allows for testing, scaling and commercialization of new technologies in surface and air mobility. In partnering with NTXIA, Fort Worth will receive practical guidance on integrating these projects into a globally recognized, world-class smart city ecosystem.
"In addition to welcoming nearly 20,000 new residents each year, the city is ramping up for major upcoming events like the 2026 World Cup and the 2024 CrossFit Games, which present tremendous economic and investment opportunities for our city," said Carlo Capua, Chief of Strategy and Innovation. "In partnering with NTXIA, Fort Worth is taking a leadership role in fostering collaboration and adoption of new technologies throughout the broader North Texas region. We're exploring the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to expedite the construction permitting process, as well as exploring pilot programs around on-demand rideshare and digital twinning as a tool for predictive modeling to help ensure we are making the best decisions possible for the public. We are also taking a proactive and regional approach to smart infrastructure upgrades that don't stop at the city limits. With NTXIA providing guidance, we have additional support to ensure our city is taking the best approach in implementing our smart infrastructure and smart city upgrades through the region."
A key part of the city's smart infrastructure strategy is the concept of broadband as a mode of transportation and mobility. One of the city's standout policies is leveraging transportation funds as a means of expanding broadband access in a more equitable way. Joining NTXIA will allow them to accelerate smart city initiatives, specifically around large-scale events and moving people to and from the city center as quickly and efficiently as possible, staying up to date on AI policies and creating legacy projects that will extend throughout the North Texas region.
"The term 'smart city' isn't just one thing. It describes how we approach the decision-making process, using different technology to analyze challenges and solutions in a rational, deliberate way that is based on data," said Kelly Porter, Assistant Director for Transportation and Public Works for the City of Fort Worth. "Part of our strategy is viewing broadband and high-speed fiber as the foundation that supports everything else, and partnering with NXTIA helps us think creatively about how to build and fund that infrastructure. The knowledge, resources and connections available to NTXIA members will directly support the city's goal of serving as a proving ground for using transportation funding streams to provide equitable access to the community and recognizing broadband as a public utility and mode of mobility. We're constantly thinking through and modeling how to incorporate broadband into transportation projects and how to deliver it to the people who need it. In working with NTXIA, we hope to be a model that other cities can follow."
About the North Texas Innovation Alliance
The North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA) is a 501(c)3 consortium of key cross-sector stakeholders working to develop and implement a smart region strategy for North Texas. The NTXIA is building the most connected, smart and resilient region in the country – bringing together government entities on all levels, transit agencies, utilities/infrastructure, public safety, educational institutions and some of the world's top technology developers in the private sector to pave the way for a brighter tomorrow. The organization's mission is to break down silos and drive the collaborative use of data, technology and community to address the most pressing topics and create solutions that will improve quality of life, drive inclusive economic development and promote resource efficiency. For more information, please visit www.NTXIA.org, or follow LinkedIn and Twitter.
About Fort Worth
The City of Fort Worth has been the fastest-growing large city in the United States since 2010. What began as a tiny outpost on a lonely frontier quickly grew into one of the largest cattle markets in the world. Fort Worth's metropolitan area has now grown to more than 900,000 people, blending cattle and oil heritage seamlessly with an ever-growing, diverse array of new businesses and industries.
SOURCE North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA)
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