The University of Miami is developing a smart city for the South American country of Guyana following an agreement with the Guyanese Government. The new city will be named ‘Silica City‘, and will be located near the country’s main international airport, on the East Bank of the River Demerara, 25 miles south of the country’s capital of Georgetown.

The master plan will integrate biophilic design and sustainable features, as well as health and well-being services, following a smart city model. It will integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies into its infrastructure.

Sensors would be embedded throughout the different buildings and structures that would facilitate the day-to-day operation of the city, as well as its maintenance. Sensors will monitor changes in traffic patterns so that traffic lights could adjust in real time to weather events, congestion, and accidents. The plan will also include telehealth and remote sensing components so that medical care can be provided to citizens in their homes.

Silica City will be a smart city, designed to become a future city for the nation. It will be developed on an 11,000-acre area near the Guyana International Airport. Silica City aspires to be a model of sustainability, resilience, and futuristic thinking. It will accommodate around 60,000 residents.

Silica City will have a residential area, a city center, and a research area called Innovation Village, which will be the hub of the city. Using a smart city design, modern technological features will be part of the new infrastructure throughout the city.

One of the challenges that the team will face is how to envision a “resilient” city in a region that has no history of building resilient housing. The team aims to hold workshops with experts in resiliency and environmental issues to guide faculty members, research staff, and students in the design process.   

The University will deploy an interdisciplinary approach. It will be led by the University’s Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas. It will also include its School of Nursing and Health Studies, the Miami Herbert Business School, and the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science. There wil be focus on strengthening health workforce training, health care delivery, and environmental policy around resiliency, climate change, biodiversity, and water use.