SAN JOSE, CA — (Marketwire) — 02/29/12 — (NASDAQ: CSCO) and , a Chicago-based real estate investment firm, today announced an extension of the two companies- collaboration which sees Cisco appointed as the master Information and Communications Technology (ICT) planner for the Lakeside Development project in Chicago. The project, on the site of the former U.S. Steel mill, aims to develop a Smart+Connected Community that will have a positive impact on the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the Chicago area. At the Chicago Lakeside, Cisco-s Wim Elfrink, executive vice president of Emerging Solutions and chief globalization officer, and local leaders discussed the role of ICT in revitalizing brownfield sites to create sustainable and innovative neighborhoods.
Cisco also today announced further Smart+Connected Community initiatives in Chicago that aim to foster smarter working and incubate technology innovation; a multi-stakeholder collaboration to investigate the social lives of cities; and details of Cisco-s role in Chicago-s STEM Education Initiative announced by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel yesterday.
Attendees at the event included:
Dan McCaffery, chairman, McCaffery Interests
Kevin Willer, CEO, Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center
Susana Vasquez, executive director, Local Initiatives Support Corporation Chicago
Alderman Sandi Jackson, 7th Ward
Alderman John Pope, 10th Ward
Today-s announcement between Cisco and McCaffery Interests builds on the companies- shared vision to design and build sustainable communities, particularly on the Chicago Lakeside project.
Within the new collaboration framework, Cisco will provide McCaffery with an in-depth ICT infrastructure assessment for the development of sustainable neighborhoods.
The global architecture and city design firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), which has led the master planning of Lakeside since 2004 is also working with Cisco and other international firms on innovation around renewable energy, waste, water and ICT to create a world-leading, sustainable urban lifestyle community on Chicago-s South Side lakefront.
Cisco also announced a collaboration effort with Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center President & CEO Kevin Willer to build a new smart working center named 1871, managed by the that promotes entrepreneurship and collaboration throughout the city.
Cisco is a corporate sponsor of , a 50,000-square-foot working space for entrepreneurs and startups on the twelfth floor of the Merchandise Mart. In addition to supplying the necessary hardware infrastructure, Cisco will aid in transforming the space into a smart work center.
Cisco also today announced that it is working with the city of Chicago, the Lakeside Community, and a new venture from UK social innovation incubator The Young Foundation, , to co-create an exciting new initiative — the Social Life of Cities — that will identify, develop, and share new ways of thinking about the way cities connect with, and are impacted by, the changing rhythms and expectations of the people who live in them.
Building on the commitment to create sustainable future cities, the city announced, during an event with Mayor Rahm Emanuel yesterday, that it has won a highly competitive grant to help raise high school and community college graduation rates and better prepare recent graduates for the 21st century workforce. With the support of Cisco and other partners, students will have the opportunity to enroll in one of five Early College STEM Schools (ECSS) that will offer an increased focus on technology skills and career readiness.
These new announcements showcase further momentum for Cisco-s initiative following a regarding communities in Toronto, Canada, the Delhi Mumbai Industrial corridor in India, and the City of Guayaquil in Ecuador. City leaders and urban planners are increasingly identifying IT and the network as integral parts of their urban development efforts and have selected Cisco and its certified partners in using Cisco-s S+CC Advisory Services and ICT capabilities for their urban planning initiatives.
“The development of the Chicago Lakeside is truly groundbreaking in that it brings together new development and urban revitalization in a way that is harmonious to the local community. Holistic urban planning with ICT represents a key enabler to economic, social and environmental sustainability. The city of Chicago is creating a competitive growth environment for local technology entrepreneurs in the region, and we are excited to be a part of the development.”
“We cannot express how excited we are to have such a wonderful partner as Cisco. With the involvement and expertise of Cisco, we truly have an opportunity for this site to provide a competitive advantage for the city of Chicago into the next 40 years.”
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Marc Musgrove
Cisco
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Ben Culp
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