Smart Infrastructure starts with planning

[Commentary] If you are wondering how economic stimulus funds can turn your community into the futuristic society depicted in "The Jetsons," it's easy to get lost in the complexities of what Smart Grids and Smart Infrastructure have to do with any of this. Instead of going to Hollywood to see what the future may hold, go to Cleveland. It's here you'll find an example of a community with five years of experience in creating a regional fiber-optic network that connects more than 1,000 organizations — hospitals, school districts, governments, museums, libraries and other public and nonprofit organizations. The success in and around Cleveland demonstrates not only the benefits of Smart Infrastructure, but also the reality that local communities are best equipped to implement today's fundamental need for infrastructure that empowers innovation. A Smart Infrastructure looks at the big-picture and end goals. If a road project is in progress, smart planning might mean going an extra mile to lay fiber optic cables while the road is open. Having the foresight to plan for civic improvements while empowering innovation is what smart infrastructure is all about.

(Garn Anderson is vice president for Business & Community Intelligence of the Cleveland-based technology nonprofit OneCommunity, which operates the Knight Center of Digital Excellence in partnership with The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.)