Shaping the Urban Landscape: New Course Drives the Future of Smart City Innovation

Shaping the Urban Landscape: New Course Drives the Future of Smart City Innovation The Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science has launched a new, forward-looking course, Smart City Engineering with IoT (ENAS 800), in response to the burgeoning urbanization trends in the United States and around the globe. With the urban population in the U.S. projected to reach 89% by 2050 and urban areas contributing significantly to the national GDP, the course aims to provide students with an understanding of the technological advancements driving the evolution of ‘smart cities.’ The course is the creation of Andrei Khurshudov, mechanical engineering & materials science lecturer and Director, IoT Analytics and Artificial Intelligence at Caterpillar Inc., and focuses on how smart cities use technology for data collection from various sources, including people, devices, and infrastructure, to facilitate informed decision-making and control. It offers a comprehensive study of the technologies shaping modern and future smart cities, such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, Cloud and Edge computing, sensors, and interconnected IoT devices. A unique aspect of this course is the requirement for students to write a thesis titled ‘Smart City New Haven 2034.’ This project encourages students to apply their knowledge and creativity to propose innovative solutions in key areas such as smart roads, intelligent traffic control, effective parking management, environmental sensors, e-governance, smart medicine, surveillance and safety, and privacy and data collection. The course is designed for both graduate and undergraduate students, providing an overview of the smart city concept, its strengths, weaknesses, and its impact on society, including personal privacy concerns. With ‘Smart City New Haven 2034,’ Yale Engineering continues its tradition of pioneering education that responds to and shapes the world’s evolving challenges and opportunities. The student-composed thesis will be presented to the City of New Haven Mayor’s Office at the end of the semester. This result is expected to provide valuable insights and forward-looking recommendations, showcasing the potential contributions of Yale students in shaping and impacting the future of urban living.