Georgia Tech is ramping up its smart cities initiative that brings together units from across the campus, and includes several College of Design research faculty. Their work is highlighted in the current issue of Research Horizons.

Jon Sanford, director of the Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA) and a professor in the School of Industrial Design, was among Georgia Tech researchers quoted in the article, Smart Cities. It examines Georgia Tech’s research on ways to make cities more functional and more desirable places to live and work.

Sanford’s area of expertise is universal design and design for aging. He and his colleagures at CATEA and the Center for Geographic Information Systems (CGIS) are developing an app, known as ALIGN, that helps people navigate urban streets and sidewalks.

“Aging may not seem like part of the smart city mix, but it should be,” says Sanford in the article. “Community mobility is crucial for older adults to successfully age in place.”

Sanford joined several other College of Design research faculty – Dennis Shelden, Matthew Swarts, Brian Stone, and Noah Posner – highlighted for their expert research and data that inform Georgia Tech’s smart cities initiative.

The 3D rendering at the top of the story was produced by the IMAGINE Lab, which is a part of CGIS, a research center in the College of Design.

See the image and read the full article in Research Horizons.