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Carnegie Mellon University

Technology Becomes the Bridge to Solving Real-World Problems

Metro21 is an interdisciplinary research and implementation center at Carnegie Mellon University that works with metropolitan and rural communities to tackle some of their most pressing real-world challenges. Using technology as our tool, we join forces with civic and community partners to guide, implement and inform innovation that improves quality of life through access to infrastructure, affordable transportation, economic opportunity and more.

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What is a connected community?

Going beyond smart city initiatives, we step directly into communities big and small to focus on the issues that matter most to the people they impact. From access to clean water to job growth, connective technology allows us to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges.

Explore Innovation in Action

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Our Projects

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Our People

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Our Partners

“At Metro21, we research, develop and deploy innovative technologies and policies by partnering with communities to help solve the problems facing metropolitan regions — sustainably, equitably and efficiently.” — Raj Rajkumar, Director, Metro21

Featured Highlights

NSF Workshop

Enabling and Sustaining Connected Communities Rooted in Solving Societal Challenges 

With funding from the National Science Foundation, Metro21: Smart Cities Institute hosted an in-person workshop and a series of pre-workshop virtual listening sessions designed to elicit feedback and suggestions from experts in academia, government, nonprofits, civic organizations, and industry to identify solutions to the significant technical, policy, and socioeconomic challenges to integration and scaling of connected communities technologies.

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