London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel toured the UI LABS facilities earlier this month in Chicago, where they viewed a range of pilot projects aimed at improving urban environments. The event was an opportunity for the Mayors to experience new technologies with the potential to improve how infrastructure is managed and maintained.

The Mayors visited UI LABS for demonstrations of pilot projects run by City Digital, a Chicago-based consortium focused on data-driven urban innovation within the built environment. Opti's Internet-of-Things technology was featured in a demonstration of green infrastructure monitoring and control.

The event was part of Mayor Khan's first visit to the United States as serving Mayor of London. Participants included Brenna Berman, Chief Information Officer for the City of Chicago, Steve Fifita, Executive Director of City Digital, and Caralynn Nowinski Collens, Chief Executive Officer of UI LABS.

Prior to the pilot demonstrations, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs (CCGA) hosted a roundtable discussion at UI LABS with industry thought leaders. Discussion topics included motivation and best practices for deploying green infrastructure in cities globally, as well as the potential role of on-going pilot projects. The discussion was moderated by Chicago's first Chief Sustainability Officer and current Senior Fellow on Global Cities with CCGA,Karen Weigert. The roundtable discussion featured representatives from City Digital's partner organizations, including the City of Chicago, Microsoft, Opti, various technology and consulting firms, and educational institutions.

Further announcements about the City Digital pilot projects highlighted during the Mayors' visit and roundtable discussion are expected by the end of 2016.

About Opti: OptiRTC, Inc., (Opti) is an Internet-of-Things technology company focused on monitoring and control of stormwater infrastructure. Opti's software uniquely combines sensor data, weather forecasts, and proprietary algorithms to optimize stormwater infrastructure through active, cloud-based control. Opti lowers the risk of managing stormwater by adaptively managing the rate and timing of stormwater flows. Opti aims to improve the effectiveness of new or existing infrastructure and help keep natural water bodies clean.https://optirtc.com/

About City Digital: City Digital, a UI LABS collaboration, uses Chicago as a test bed for technology and demonstration, focusing across its pilots on four critical impact areas: physical infrastructure, water and sanitation, energy management, and mobility. Ongoing pilots include Underground Infrastructure Mapping,Smart Green Infrastructure Monitoring, and Smart Building Data Services; planned 2017 pilots include energy and mobility platforms. www.citydigital.org.