Pittsburgh Expands Involvement in Metrolab Network

It's tough but great exercise! Cyclists hit Mt. Washington's Grandview Avenue and stop along the way for a great view of the city. Photo credit: VisitPittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh has joined Carnegie Mellon University and the City of Pittsburgh in the MetroLab Network, a White House initiative established in September 2015 that has created 40 city-university partnerships designed to bring innovation, analytics and data into local government. Members of the network research, develop and deploy technologies and policy approaches to address challenges facing urban areas.

The University of Pittsburgh’s first three contributions to the network are The District Energy Initiative, a “grid of microgrids” concept within and around the city of Pittsburgh that will create a more efficient and sustainable energy ecosystem for the region; the 2nd Avenue Solar Canopy and Direct Current Microgrid; and Electric Vehicle Car Charging Station, which will facilitate the transition of Pittsburgh’s vehicle fleet from gasoline to electric power; and the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center, which supports key community initiatives by making public information easier to find and use. The data center maintains Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh’s open data portal and hosts data sets from these and other public-sector agencies, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations. The data center is managed by the University of Pittsburgh’s University Center for Social and Urban Research and is a partnership of the University, Allegheny County, and the City of Pittsburgh.

Read the press release here:  http://www.news.pitt.edu/news/pitt-joins-carnegie-mellon-university-and-city-pittsburgh-white-house-s-metrolab-netw

Additional information:  http://metrolab.heinz.cmu.edu/

Media Contact:

John Fedele
jfedele@pitt.edu
412-624-4148
Cell: 412-414-8785