Chicago's New Sensor-Based System: How a Smart City Tackles Rainfall
Sustainable rainwater management practices, such as rain gardens, allow cities to use rain as a resource. This helps developed watersheds (such as in an urban landscape) mimic the function of natural systems.
Smart Green Infrastructure Monitoring Project
“By combining sensors and cloud computing, a new pilot project in Chicago provides an innovative solution for what can be an everyday urban problem: rainwater,” wrote Sean Thornton.
“The Smart Green Infrastructure Monitoring (SGIM) project aims to provide cities with a tool to reduce urban flooding and prevent millions of dollars in subsequent property damage.”
“Given changes in climate and rainfall patterns, aging gray infrastructure, and the need for cost-effective alternatives, we know that green infrastructure is worth the investment.”
“Yet precisely how effective are these efforts, and how effective can they be?”
“How can a more detailed knowledge of green infrastructure’s impacts on stormwater runoff amounts lead to better strategizing, planning, and management? This is where sensors come in,” summarized Sean Thornton.
How is Green Infrastructure Working?
Brenna Berman, Chicago’s Chief Information Officer and a key public figure moving the project forward, envisions precisely how SGIM can help Chicago and other cities.
“We would like to know at a high level whether the green stormwater infrastructure is working,” she recently said. “Is it preventing rainwater from entering the sewer system? Which designs work better in hard rains versus soft rains? Which work better during long storms versus flash floods?”
To Learn More:
Download How a Smart City Tackles Rainfall to read the complete article by Sean Thornton and published by Data-Smart City Solutions.
Chicago – Smart Green Infrastructure Monitoring (MONITORING PLATFORM. SOURCE: CITY DIGITAL)