More people are looking at living in Reno as remote working opportunities become more popular and it’s no longer necessary to live in a large city to be close to a job. At the same time, the city is upping its tech-savvy and becoming smarter for current and future residents.
The biggest little city is determined to make smart living a priority in northern Nevada. Recently, StateTech Magazine featured Reno as one of the top-eight smart cities in the country to watch. Here are five ways Reno is becoming a smarter place to live.
Living In Reno Means Access To Smart City Avenues Of Success
- Digital Interactions Becoming The New Norm
Life as we know it is becoming increasingly more digital, and in response, the City of Reno is focused on digitizing services. As a result, residents, businesses, and city officials can interact remotely and don’t need to go to city hall to get a business license or pay a bill. With this convenient option, people can complete forms from the comfort of their home or office.
As the demand for homes in Reno and Sparks continues to grow, the city’s community development department is working to provide digitized building inspections for homeowners.
- Community Leaders In Autonomous Vehicle Development
To better connect the community, the University of Nevada, Reno, and the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County is helping the city develop an autonomous transportation system. The buses will be equipped with laser-based radar sensor technology known as LiDAR, which will collect data and help enable autonomous driving technology. With an autonomous bus that can operate in rain or snow, pedestrians will be able to navigate the city safely.
By using smart mobility, Reno can assess and ensure the safety of pedestrians. Life in the city is full of exciting attractions, and autonomous public transportation options will help residents and tourists safely explore them. With smart mobility in mind, the Nevada Department of Transportation is also working on pedestrian safety improvements, including flashing pedestrian signs, street light enhancements, crosswalks, and compact traffic roundabouts.
- Sustainability Efforts Centered Around Urban Design
While community leaders prepare our roads for the future, living in Reno has never been more sustainable. Every year, total carbon emissions drop more than 2.25 percent due to energy and recycling investments, according to the city’s Sustainability & Climate Action Plan. Another part of the plan addresses creating transit-oriented neighborhoods where public transportation can help reduce single-occupant vehicle traffic.
Nestled in the high Sierra Nevada desert, Reno is focused on protecting natural resources while developing new city infrastructure. As a result, the Sustainability & Climate Action Plan aims to promote new sustainable living with the ReEnergize Reno program, which aims to improve the efficiency of commercial, industrial, and multifamily buildings by 20% by 2025.
- Creating Optimal Remote Working Conditions
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work has become significantly more popular across the globe. In Northern Nevada, many buildings have access to high-speed fiber-optic internet to enable faster and more reliable connections. With internet speeds up to 100 gigabits per second, fiber-optic internet allows people to use multiple devices simultaneously without always having to compete for bandwidth caused by high traffic.
- Back-Up Plans To Support City Operations
As the City of Reno rolls out more technology to help citizens and business owners, it is also fast-tracking the development of a new disaster recovery plan. As more and more people rely on digitized services, the backup system will help secure information.
“There is a strong-enough IT environment to ensure that city services can still be delivered and accessed digitally,” Rishma Khimji, the city’s IT director, told StateTech. “And that includes investing in better backup and disaster recovery tools.”
