EAST POINT, Ga. — "To infinity and beyond."
East Point is certainly getting off to a nice start with 2020. Just last week, the steering committee for the East Point City Agricultural Plan met to discuss the early stages of development for the urban agriculture project.
This past Wednesday, Jan. 22, the city announced that they were a recipient of the 2020 Smart 50 Award for the category of Digital Transformation.
The categories for 2020 included community engagement, digital transformation, smart mobility, urban infrastructure and urban operations.
The Smart 50 Awards annually honors the 50 most transformative smart city projects. In partnership with such organizations like Smart Cities Connect, Smart Cities Connect Foundation, and US Ignite, the Smart 50 Awards recognizes the most innovative and influential projects, worldwide.
“East Point’s journey from a humble 1880’s rail city to becoming a 21st century Smart City leader is nothing short of a sci-fi fairy tale, so this project presentation is our narrative,” said Dominic Maldonado, GIS Coordinator.
In order to even qualify, applicants must have achieved quantifiable results at a municipal scale or equivalent, and for a global contest, that’s no small potatoes.
The title of the East Point Smart City Initiative project is 2020: A Spatial Odyssey, which is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Stanley Kubrick’s film and the scope of the project which deals heavily in augmented reality and digital mapping of the city.
“We looked at different game design applications and visualized how it could be integrated into our business processes to utilize its different features for the Planning, Parks & Rec, and Economic Development Departments,” said Farhad Islam, East Point’s IT Director.
The project includes games to educate people about the 2020 Census, training for the Fire Department on hydrant testing, and helps Code Enforcement officers monitor violations to enhance the quality of life.
Both Maldonado and Islam will be accepting the award on the city's behalf as well as unveiling the final project.
For more information about East Point Smart City Initiative, visit the website.
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