• Cynthia Curry is the director of sensible cities for the Metro Atlanta Chamber in Atlanta, Georgia.
• Her group goals to spice up financial growth and make town extra equitable for all residents.
• Initiatives she’s concerned with embrace constructing EV infrastructure and addressing systemic racism.
• This text is a part of a sequence centered on American cities constructing a greater tomorrow referred to as “Advancing Cities.”

Atlanta’s inhabitants is rising because it turns into one of many fastest-growing tech hubs within the nation. Because the director of sensible cities for the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC), Cynthia Curry is devoted to strengthening the area’s tech ecosystem within the hopes of boosting financial growth and making town extra equitable for all residents.

Curry, who’s lived in Atlanta for greater than 35 years and labored for MAC for 5 years after having volunteered for the group for a number of years, spends her days fostering connections and collaborations amongst companies, native governments, civic leaders, and academic establishments. Her function includes serving to present corporations develop and attracting new funding and expertise within the 29-county Atlanta metro space. 

“We ensure that the teams which can be engaged on related tasks or which have collective objectives get to know each other,” Curry stated. “We’re breaking down silos and connecting corporations and sources in order that they will collaborate and provide you with shared options and generate new public-private partnerships.”

Curry stated smart-city know-how, equivalent to electrical autos, is extra necessary than ever “to create an equitable, resilient, sustainable area” for future generations. 

“Sensible-city know-how can resolve nearly something, and we’re leveraging that right here in a number of methods,” she stated, from public security and water preservation to waste and visitors administration.

Here is a have a look at a few of the initiatives Curry’s group is engaged on with town of Atlanta.

Rising EV infrastructure

Boosting Atlanta’s electronic-vehicle business is an enormous focus for MAC, Curry stated. One noteworthy mission it has been concerned in is Curiosity Lab, an financial growth initiative in close by Peachtree Corners that launched in 2019 which supplies an innovation middle, 5G infrastructure, and an autonomous car check observe to assist startups, corporations, and different organizations construct and check smart-city applied sciences. In March, T-Cellular, Utilized Info, and Temple Inc. introduced plans to debut a 5G-connected car know-how in Peachtree Corners in partnership with Curiosity Lab. It’s going to permit visitors alerts to speak with all autos on roadways by way of an app.

One other mission advancing MAC’s EV objectives is The Ray, an 18-mile stretch of Interstate 85 that is a testbed for solar-powered EV charging stations, autonomous and linked car infrastructure, and extra. The Atlanta area has additionally attracted a number of EV corporations like electric-truck producer Rivian Automotive and SK Battery, which introduced plans to construct vegetation there, and Curry stated others will possible arrange store in Atlanta.

Curry serves as innovation chair for the Georgia Electrical Mobility and Innovation Alliance (EMIA), a statewide initiative centered on rising the state’s EV ecosystem and attracting corporations and a workforce within the sector. EMIA is engaged on coverage and incentives to make the state business-friendly to EV corporations, together with an annual

tax credit score

for companies that manufacture various gas and electrical autos. The tax credit score quantities differ primarily based on the variety of new jobs the corporate creates.

“That is one of many latest and most enjoyable issues we’re engaged on proper now,” Curry stated, including that funding from the infrastructure invoice to increase EV infrastructure will possible encourage much more development within the area. 

Making certain smart-city development is equitable 

Curry additionally sits on the Atlanta Chief Info Officer Advisory Board, a metropolis board that meets quarterly to debate Atlanta’s greatest priorities and tech-focused options that may make entry to companies extra equitable.

In 2021, MAC launched the Atlanta Motion for Racial Fairness, a multi-year motion plan to assist companies deal with systemic racism that impacts the Black neighborhood. The plan focuses on 4 areas, together with company DEI insurance policies, training, inclusive financial growth, and workforce growth. MAC supplies playbooks, developed by a steering committee of native enterprise and civic leaders, for corporations to assist them enhance range, fairness, and inclusion within the 4 areas. Organizations report their progress, and MAC has partnered with DEI platform Kanarys to investigate the information. 

Curry stated greater than 250 corporations, together with UPS, Coca-Cola, Cox Enterprises, and Delta Air Traces, have signed on to the initiative.

Specializing in know-how and fairness in tandem effectively positions Atlanta for the long run, she stated, and can assist the area higher appeal to new enterprise and residents.

“Corporations and expertise need to be part of communities which can be numerous, equitable, and sustainable,” Curry added.