With the Synapse Summit currently in full swing, Mayor Jane Castor took the opportunity to engage the innovative community and reveal an exciting new initiative: Intersection of Innovation.
This call to action to Tampa’s innovators is an opportunity for the City to work with leading experts, startups, and problem-solvers to tackle some of the City’s greatest challenges and embrace next-generation solutions.
Intersection of Innovation supports Mayor Jane Castor’s Transforming Tampa’s Tomorrow vision, with a key emphasis on transportation, development services, housing affordability, workforce development, and sustainability & resilience. Through this program, companies and individuals will have an opportunity to pitch project ideas to City decision-makers, to identify projects that will meet resident needs. Successful projects could be selected for future pilot programs, which the City would test via their ‘City as a Lab’ approach.
Mayor Jane Castor discussed some of the details of this new initiative during a Fireside Chat at the Synapse Summit where thousands of entrepreneurs, tech-experts, and innovators are currently attending a 2-day event. By engaging the community, Mayor Castor hopes to foster a positive working relationship with the public that will lead to smart solutions that improve quality of life for all residents.
“The future is all about innovation. So as a city, we need to do everything that we can to be a catalyst for progress and to keep Tampa on the cutting edge,” explained Mayor Jane Castor. “Right now, we have a chance to transform Tampa into the world-class city we all want to live, work, and play in—but in order to get there, we have to work smarter, not harder—and we have to work together. That’s why we need innovators on our side working with our amazing city staff to tackle our greatest challenges and help us reach our goals.”
"Synapse is excited to be working with a Visionary Mayor that is supportive of Tampa's growing tech ecosystem. We look forward to continue to work with her and her team to move our region forward" added Brian Kornfeld Co -Founder and President of Synapse Florida
Some examples of civic innovation projects that the City of Tampa Smart Mobility Division is currently working on include:
Wayfinding for persons with visual disabilities: This wayfinding app that will make it easier for persons with visual disability to navigate the city comfortably. The first phase of this program will provide wayfinding from transit stops to City Hall, the Municipal Office Building, and the Lighthouse for the Blind and Low Vision. The app is scheduled to launch later this year during White Cane Awareness month, October.
Mobility as a Service App: This app will connect all the various forms of transportation (streetcar, busses, Pirate Water Taxi, e-Scooters, rideshare, etc.) into one app where locals and visitors to plan, book, and pay for trips.
Curbside Management Pilot: This pilot program will create a system for rideshare drivers, commercial delivery trucks, and other vehicles to reserve City curb space. This will cut down on double-parking, mitigate congestion, and leverage the city’s limited curb space for the safest and most effective use.
Intersection of Innovation will welcome more opportunities for civic projects like these, allowing the City to embrace modern solutions and support Tampa’s innovative workforce.
To learn more about Intersection of Innovation, visit tampagov.net/intersection