If you’re a fan of The Jetsons, then you’re in the right place.
That’s according to CNN, which just put Pittsburgh at the top of its list of “10 cities living in the future.”
OK, so maybe we’re not exactly at the top. The list doesn’t appear to be ranked, but Pittsburgh is the first place mentioned. We’re going to take that as a win. Pittsburgh is in some pretty impressive company, too, with places like Reykjavik and Dubai in the mix.
So what does it mean to live in the future?
It means our culture of innovation is on display for the world to see.
“In the past, companies hid what they were working on in labs behind locked doors,” writes Matt McFarland for CNN. “But newer technologies such as self-driving cars and drone deliveries must be tested and perfected in the real world before being introduced into our lives.
“Cities around the world are playing host to some of the smartest innovation around, providing a glance at what could become a part of modern-day culture in the years to come.”
In other words, Pittsburgh is a key player in shaping the technology that will eventually become integral to people’s lives. Here’s how CNN summed it up:
A city once known for the steel industry has become a hotbed of self-driving car research. Uber, Ford and Aurora have local offices, and other self-driving companies are considering a move to the city, according to the local government
Pittsburgh’s varied terrain and four seasons make it a smart testing ground for self-driving vehicles. The city, known for its three rivers, has hundreds of bridges, which can be especially challenging for autonomous vehicles. Uber already offers self-driving rides to customers across the city.
Pittsburgh is home to Carnegie Mellon University, where its pioneering work on autonomous vehicles has occurred for decades. It’s also a long-term leader in engineering and robotics. Red Whittaker, a professor at the university’s Robotics Institute, is often called the godfather of autonomous vehicles. His earliest projects include building autonomous robots to clean up the 1979 nuclear accident at Three Mile Island.
To see what other cities are giving Pittsburgh a run for its money, read CNN’s full article here.
