Eyes to the Future: SmartSA Sandbox Comes to Downtown Innovation Zone
October 1, 2021 - Downtown
A future in good hands. “The SmartSA Sandbox series will create new, interactive opportunities for residents to experience innovative technology solutions firsthand,” said Brian Dillard, chief innovation officer at the City of San Antonio. Screenshot: YouTube/City of San Antonio.
By Jade Esteban Estrada, Staff Writer | San Antonio Sentinel
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- SmartSA Sandbox, a free, family friendly pop-up event, will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, October 17 at Hemisfair
- This year’s SmartSA Sandbox event will feature activities centered around data collection and storytelling
On Oct. 17, the City of San Antonio’s Office of Innovation, in association with several of its SmartSA partners, will host SmartSA Sandbox, a free, family-friendly pop-up event that will provide residents with hands-on opportunities to test smart city technologies. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hemisfair.
This will be the second event in a series of SmartSA Sandbox events hosted by the Office of Innovation in one of three Innovation Zones, currently located at Brooks, downtown, and the Medical Center.
This year, the event will be hosted downtown in the colorful Yanaguana Garden. At the event, residents will be invited to test new technologies and participate in workshops.
So what are Innovation Zones exactly? Well, in 2017, the San Antonio City Council established three “Innovation Zones” where new technologies and solutions to community challenges can be tested. Two years later, local residents completed an Innovation Zone Survey and identified environmental quality, pedestrian safety and traffic congestion as challenges in the zones. SmartSA Sandbox participants will have an opportunity to share ideas and feedback regarding current and future pilots in the Innovation Zones.
“It is critical to get the input of residents and neighbors regarding the smart city technologies that we aim to deploy,” said District 8 Councilman Manny Peláez. “The SmartSA Sandbox series will provide countless hands-on opportunities for the public, enabling us to build the San Antonio of tomorrow together.”
This year’s SmartSA Sandbox event will feature activities centered around data collection and storytelling, opportunities to take a deep dive into City applications like 311SA and services provided by the San Antonio Public Library, and robotics activities presented by Youth Code Jam, who will also have on display Mylo, their child-friendly robot.
“The SmartSA Sandbox series will create new, interactive opportunities for residents to experience innovative technology solutions firsthand,” said Brian Dillard, chief innovation officer at the City of San Antonio. “We invite residents of all ages and backgrounds to tell us what they think of these technology solutions and share their feedback with us.”
The event will also include workshops on developing technology and city-building skills facilitated by Able City and the Alamo Regional Data Alliance, among others. Attendees can also enjoy music and a variety of food trucks featuring local innovations in San Antonio’s thriving food scene.
“This partnership with SmartSA Sandbox is the perfect fit, just steps away from our own sand play area,” said Hemisfair CEO Andres Andujar. “Yanaguana Garden is the laboratory for new ideas at Hemisfair, and we’re excited to host this community event.”
Organizers hope to see an increase in attendance, particularly among young people. Because, as many would agree, the future is happening now.
A schedule of events is available here.
Jade Esteban Estrada is a staff writer for the San Antonio Sentinel, where he covers public health and other citywide issues. jade@sasentinel.com | Twitter: @getjaded