Smart Columbus Operating System Launched: Here's What That Means

COLUMBUS, OH — Two years ago, Columbus won a $40 million federal grant to help it improve its transportation system. On Monday, city officials unveiled its new Smart Columbus Operating System, a unique data management platform to help it do just that.

The operating system will "ingest, aggregate, fuse and disseminate mobility data" from sources all over the Ohio's capital city, Smart Columbus announced. That data can then be used by both the public and private sectors to create responsive, innovative and safe transportation solutions.

This means helping hungry families access grocery stores, helping trucks avoid low-hanging bridges and even helping seniors access public transit systems.

“Fundamental to ‘becoming smart’ as a city is discovering how to use data to improve city services and quality life for residents,” said Demoractic Mayor Andrew Ginther. “When we apply data to the challenges we experience as a city, we can transform outcomes in education, employment, healthcare and even access to healthy food."

Ginther called the launch a "major milestone" and said the city will be better able to analyze, interpret and share data that will help solve key challenges and inspire innovation.

The operating system serves as the technical “backbone” for projects within the U.S. Department of Transportation grant portfolio.

“Through research conducted with residents and community partners, we’ve identified real mobility challenges felt by real people—residents, freight operators, non-profits, city officials and more,” said Michael Stevens, the city's chief innovation officer. “We’ve also identified collections of data that, when applied in new ways, stand to transform today’s outcomes. We’re publishing this data through the operating system and calling on the public and private sectors to join us in harnessing this data to create real solutions.”

The operating system is open source code, meaning other cities can use it to expedite their own data management platforms.

The next challenge is to create an environment where the city can develop solutions from an idea to testing and ultimately to production, said Ben Blanquera, vice president, delivery and experience for the Columbus Collaboratory and co-leader of the Smart Columbus Operating System Working Group, “

Applications of the operating system and the initial datasets will be tested during the Smart City Hackathon, which runs from Friday through Sunday at Fintech71 in Columbus. Teams of developers, designers and entrepreneurs at the event will be given problem statements and empowered to create new technology apps and solutions using the data. The solutions will be pitched to a panel of judges and the team with the best idea will be given the resources to implement it.

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