The spread of COVID-19 has broad implications both for human health and economies around the world. This Smart and Connected Communities project will monitor the spread of COVID-19 by collecting real-time information on active COVID-19 cases, understand how transportation has driven the spread of the virus, and quantify how travel restrictions have limited the spread of the virus. The data collection will gather and store real-time information on the spread of COVID-19 and a timeline of travel restrictions for three sets of communities.

The vision of a smart city is underpinned by its ability to collect, manage, and use data. However, data access remains a fundamental challenge across city agencies, public institutions, and community stakeholders. This project is championing a paradigm shift in data sharing by implementing a new data access framework that allows users to share access to data in-situ instead of sending copies of data around.

This activity is in response to NSF Dear Colleague Letter Supporting Transition of Research into Cities through the US ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations Cities) Smart Cities Partnership in collaboration with NSF and the US State Department. Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), an ASEAN city in Vietnam, is well-known for its traffic congestion and high density of vehicles, cars, buses, trucks, and a swarm of motorbikes (7.3 million motorbikes for more than 8.4 million residents) that overwhelm city streets.

This project responds to COVID-19 by investigating an effective and efficient community-based approach in Baltimore City, Maryland to deploying free, broadband Internet and creating trusted open-access online education, career, and communication resources for low-income populations in the face of large-scale emergencies. This approach builds on existing research on the importance of equitable broadband Internet access and the potential of community-based solutions to bridging the digital divide.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only disrupted the lives of millions but also created exigent operational and scheduling challenges for public transit agencies. Agencies are struggling to maintain transit accessibility with reduced resources, changing ridership patterns, vehicle capacity constraints due to social distancing, and reduced services due to driver unavailability. A number of transit agencies have also begun to help the local food banks deliver food to shelters, which further strains the available resources if not planned optimally.

Early evidence suggests that the COVID-19 crisis is accelerating the rate of adoption of e-commerce with more people ordering online and using delivery services to meet their needs. The embrace of e-commerce and delivery during the crisis and recovery are likely uneven, as opportunities and barriers to accessing transportation, local retailers, online technologies, and delivery services vary across the population.

Situated on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean, the US Pacific Northwest Region and Japan face significant earthquake risks from similar geophysical conditions. The Pacific Northwest is considered overdue for a Cascadia Subduction Zone 8.0–9.2 magnitude megaquake. When it happens, the estimated direct fatalities for Oregon and Washington states are up to 10,000, with economic losses of more than $80 billion. For the comparably sized region of Japan facing a Nankai megathrust earthquake, estimated fatalities are 80,000–323,000 lives and about $900 billion in economic loss.

This activity is in response to NSF Dear Colleague Letter Supporting Transition of Research into Cities through the US ASEAN ((Association of Southeast Asian Nations Cities) Smart Cities Partnership in collaboration with NSF and the US State Department. Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) will be partnering with University Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) at Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia, to develop renewable energy sources for bike lanes in KL. Kuala Lumpur is the largest city in Malaysia, and it is home to approximately 1.808 million people.

Food deserts, generally defined as areas in which it is difficult to buy an affordable, high-quality fresh food, are not exclusive to urban or rural areas, but more indicative of under-served communities, low-income households, and minority neighborhoods. Food deserts are not only a health issue but also a community development and equity issue. Access to safe and nutritious food is a fundamental individual right.

Seniors (i.e., adults aged 65+) are the most rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population and have an increased risk of social isolation due to changes in lifestyle and physical health. Social connectedness, which involves establishing, sustaining, and increasing the quality of social relationships, is key to preventing or mitigating social isolation. Technology can foster social connectedness through online services and mobile applications.