Barcelona and Cisco announce strategic initiatives to transform the city into a global urban reference model

The Mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias, and the Cisco Chairman and CEO, John Chambers, announced a strategic collaboration agreement today to launch a number of strategic initiatives aimed at advancing the City of Barcelona's objective of being a global reference model for sustainable urban development. As an extension of the ongoing collaboration announced in February 2011 between Cisco and Barcelona Council to help transform the city into a blueprint for modern urban development through Cisco's Smart+Connected Communities platform, Cisco will support the creation of the Barcelona Institute of Technology for the Habitat (BIT for the Habitat); the definition of a new City Protocol; and the development of new technology solutions for the next generation of city services. Improvements include pay per light, self-sufficient city blocks for energy, energy monitoring of public buildings, improved rain water use, a smart bus network and smart parking for the city.