Smart Cities Hub:
Delivering Solutions,
Driving Impact
JOIN THE SMART CITIES HUB
The Smart Cities Hub
The Smart Cities Hub is a structured innovation program that enables cities, counties, and states to explore, design, and pilot data-driven solutions in a closed, collaborative environment.
The program brings together public agencies, subject matter experts, and multidisciplinary teams to prototype and test solutions that address real operational and policy challenges, before scaling them into long-term initiatives.
What it is
Program Structure
Public agencies work alongside subject matter experts and multidisciplinary teams to test ideas, evaluate outcomes, and reduce risk before scaling.
- 90–120 day pilot and prototyping cycles
- Guided research, design, and technical support
- Access to domain expertise across mobility, infrastructure, data, and policy
- Lightweight governance, documentation, and reporting
Who it's for
Public & Private Sector Partners
- Cities, counties, and state agencies seeking to test and validate new approaches to public service delivery
- Transportation, IT, sustainability, innovation, and operations teams
- Corporations and companies in the smart city ecosystem
- Academic and research partners supporting applied, community-focused innovation
What you get
Applied Outcomes & Capacity Building
Partners Receive:
- Innovative prototypes and pilot-ready solutions developed through sprints and hackathons
- Pilot plans, demos, and evaluation metrics
- Workforce development and applied learning opportunities
- Community-informed insights, data reports, and research outputs
- Case studies, playbooks, and scale-ready roadmaps
Product Demos
Pipe Census
Pipe Census leverages vision-based AI to automate the identification and classification of underground water infrastructure.
PYRA
PYRA creates an intelligent planning platform that integrates fire safety data with city development information.
Smart City
Smart City uses IoT sensors to optimize urban sustainability and energy consumption across the municipal grid.
ConnectED
ConnectED bridges the digital divide by providing community-driven internet access and education.
Green Grid
Green Grid focuses on renewable energy integration for city-wide infrastructure and transport.
QUOTES FROM CITY PARTNERS
"I had the privilege of working with the HBCU Smart Cities Program teams over a couple of months, and every meeting with them was amazing. We would talk about the challenges, the technology, the people and processes of our communities, and their ideas and execution never ceased to amaze me. The opportunity to work with these bright minds has been a great experience for myself and our city"
Tom Kurecka
Chief Information Officer, City of Winston-Salem
“I was just blown away by what they were able to accomplish. I didn’t know what type of solution that they were going to provide. I was amazed to see that there was something that could actually be utilized at the ond of this project and program.”
Shantell McClam
Neighborhood Services Director
"Myself and my staff really enjoyed being a part of the program this year. It was truly unreal. Those students are so creative. I’m looking forward to working with them again next year."
Darvin Moore
Fire Dept. Chief
"This program represents our shared vision for sustainable community building and inclusive innovation. We are eager to leverage this collaboration to drive impactful change and empower our residents to build a brighter future."
Dionna Smith
Chief Diversity Officer
SEE THE IMPACT WE'RE MAKING
2025 PCF's Impact Report
Prototypes for city pilots
Cities engaged statewide
Fellows trained in smart cities
City of Winston-Salem Utilities Management Prototype
Town of Morrisville Mobility Visibility Prototype
Smart City Innovation Fellowships Case Study
Partner With Us
Cities, counties, and companies can collaborate with PCF to launch fellowships, innovation pilots, and workforce programs. Let's build smarter, more resilient communities together.