New Westminster – The City of New Westminster and the UBC Masters of Engineering Leadership (MEL) program have established a new relationship and research collaboration bringing together the bright minds of the MEL Urban Systems cohort with New Westminster’s Intelligent City initiative. The students will be researching and recommending best practices in three areas: transport, clean energy, and big data.

“New West is thrilled to be collaborating with the MEL program,” said Mayor Jonathan X. Coté. “With New Westminster recently being recognized as one of the world’s Smart21 Communities of 2017, it’s the perfect time to gain insight into propelling our Intelligent City strategy forward.”

This collaboration will engage the students in research that is both leading edge in terms of urban systems and technology applications while also focusing on providing research that can help solve real and tangible urban problems and identify opportunities for the city.

"Cities are the spaces where we can make the greatest positive gains if we can improve efficiencies or change behavior,” said Dr. Martino Tran, Co-Director Master of Engineering Leadership in Urban Systems.  “New Westminster’s central location, small size, and big city challenges make it the ideal living lab for us to study smart city best practices.”

Initial research results will be presented back to the City in early April this year, with the possibility of longer-term and new collaborations in the future.  For more information about the Intelligent City initiative, visit the City’s website.

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Contacts:

City of New Westminster    
Patricia Jecks
Intelligent City Project Coordinator                                        
604-636-4458 or                 

UBC

Prof. Martino Tran
Co-Director, Master of Engineering Leadership in Urban Systems

UBC Faculty of Applied Science

Email:

Background

The MEL program in Urban Systems, one of eight professional masters programs added to UBC Applied Science’s curriculum last year, was developed in close collaboration with industry partners to help practicing professionals obtain the technical and leadership skills to develop innovative solutions across sectors, manage multi-disciplinary teams and lead collaborative projects once they are back in industry.

The City of New Westminster’s Intelligent City initiative focuses on the areas of broadband, knowledge workforce, innovation, digital equality, sustainability, and advocacy leveraging best practices to ensure New Westminster adapts to the new demands and seizes the opportunities presented by information and communications technology.