{"207821":{"#nid":"207821","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Midtown Alliance and Georgia Tech Partner to Create a Live-Work-Play \u2018Laboratory\u2019","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMidtown Alliance, the driving force behind the revitalization of Midtown Atlanta, today announced a new partnership with Georgia Tech to expand and strengthen Midtown\u2019s flourishing innovation district. This unique partnership combines Midtown\u2019s desirable setting with Georgia Tech\u2019s considerable intellectual capital, research labs and incubators to develop leading-edge technology approaches to enhance the urban environment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Midtown Alliance-Georgia Tech partnership will work with local thought leaders on strategies to further strengthen Midtown\u2019s technology infrastructure, create commercial real estate opportunities for entrepreneurs and highlight the sizeable array of innovation assets, activities and success stories that are happening now.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first phase will include the creation of a\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELive-Work-Play \u201c\u003C\/strong\u003ELaboratory\u201d for exploring the potential of media technologies and creating a climate for continual innovation. A vital component of the living laboratory will be the development of an open platform for experimental mobile applications designed to enrich the Midtown experience for those who work, live and visit here.\u0026nbsp; Initial mobile apps using this platform will focus on areas that have a close nexus with the work of Midtown Alliance. This exciting partnership will explore areas including augmented reality tours of the district, apps to help users find parking and real-time public transportation options, and ways to gather community feedback loops for upcoming projects and initiatives.\u0026nbsp; Applications will be tested and improved with public feedback; new participants and industry partners will be encouraged to use the open platform to develop applications that can be piloted in Midtown.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThrough this unique partnership with Georgia Tech, we will explore how to harness an array of new technology and tools to further enhance the user experience and buttress our city\u2019s innovation assets,\u201d says Dennis Lockhart, chairman of the Midtown Alliance. \u201cMidtown Alliance has been focused on making Midtown a more livable, walkable and vibrant district for a long time, through physical improvements, urban design and a range of programs to improve the physical environment.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKevin Green, Midtown Alliance\u2019s CEO, notes that successful innovation districts come from partnerships among higher education, business, entrepreneurs and government. \u201cMidtown today has an impressive array of innovation assets and activities concentrated in close proximity and in a vibrant urban district. This is the \u2018power of place.\u2019\u0026nbsp; As an organization focused on Midtown and our city\u2019s continued progress, we want to leverage the success that is already happening here around technology innovation, help to connect the dots and grow it even further.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMany of the programs and resources in Midtown support entrepreneurs and connect industry leaders with students and researchers based in Georgia Tech\u2019s Enterprise Innovation Institute,\u201d said Georgia Tech President G.P. \u201cBud\u201d Peterson. \u201cThis collaboration is a great example of Georgia Tech engaging with the community and industry to create economic development that will benefit Midtown and Atlanta as a whole.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis partnership is a natural extension of our research in media, health and community-focused technologies that directly impact quality of life,\u201d said Beth Mynatt, executive director of Georgia Tech\u2019s Institute for People and Technology, who will lead the laboratory activities. \u201cThe partnership will bring together the best of Georgia Tech\u2019s inventive power and the innovation culture of Midtown Atlanta.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csub\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Midtown Alliance:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/sub\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csub\u003EMidtown Alliance is a non-profit membership organization and a coalition of leading business and community leaders \u2013 united in our commitment to Midtown as a premiere destination for commerce, culture, education and living. Governed by a 56-member board of the district\u0027s top leaders, our mission is to improve and sustain the quality of life for those who live, work and visit Midtown. The Alliance accomplishes this goal through a comprehensive approach to planning and development that includes initiatives to enhance public safety, improve the physical environment, and strengthen the urban amenities which give the area its unique character. Guided by a visionary master plan \u2013 Blueprint Midtown \u2013 and in partnership with the Midtown Improvement District, Midtown has become a national model for urban excellence.\u0026nbsp; To learn more about Midtown Alliance initiatives visit midtownatl.com.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/sub\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csub\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Tech:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/sub\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Csub\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the world\u0027s premier research universities. Ranked seventh among U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u0027s top public universities, the Institute enrolls 21,500 students within its six colleges. Georgia Tech is the nation\u0027s leading producer of engineers as well as a leading producer of female and minority engineering Ph.D. graduates. Holding more than 848 patents and receiving approximately $689 million in research and development expenditures, Georgia Tech ranks among the nation\u0027s top ten universities (without a medical school) in research expenditures. Visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\u0022 title=\u0022www.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ewww.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E for more information.\u003C\/sub\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis unique partnership combines Midtown\u2019s desirable setting with Georgia Tech\u2019s considerable intellectual capital, research labs and incubators to develop leading-edge technology approaches to enhance the urban environment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The unique partnership aims to develop leading-edge technology approaches to enhance the urban environment."}],"uid":"27462","created_gmt":"2013-04-19 10:45:41","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:04","author":"Liz Klipp","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-04-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-04-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/ipat.gatech.edu\/","title":"Institute for People and Technology"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERenata LeDantec, Georgia Tech\u0027s Institute for People and Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E404.324.3307\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Renata@ipat.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ERenata@ipat.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECatherine Smith, Midtown Alliance\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E404.809.2123\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Catherine@MidtownATL.com\u0022\u003ECatherine@MidtownATL.com\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["klipp@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}