The Quantified City: A Closer Look at Chicago's Array of Things

Chicago has implemented an initiative called the Array of Things (AoT) to collect data on its environment, infrastructure, and activity using sensor-based technologies. This hyper-local open data is being analyzed by researchers and city officials to study critical challenges such as flood prevention, traffic safety, air quality, and availability of civic services. The project partners with various organizations, including the University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, AT&T, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and is backed by a $3.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation. A projected 500 sensors will be installed along Chicago streets by the end of 2018, providing an urban-scale testing ground for smart city technologies such as new communications or information systems. The data collected through AoT aims to make cities more livable and lead to innovation in public services, with the goal of making Chicago a leader in smart city innovation.