Reimagining Cities of America

Smart Cities, a confederation of private enterprises for the common good, will offer a public option for everything and ensure that the economic value generated by the impending automation revolution benefits everyone — fairly and sustainably.

INTRODUCTION

Despite recent technological advancements, modern civilization is rapidly deteriorating due to intersecting challenges of economic unfairness and climate destruction, the nature and scale of which necessitate a unified national response. In the absence of proactive stewardship from our government, we the People must step up with solutions of our own.

The Smart Cities plan outlines a cohesive vision and comprehensive set of private sector initiatives to rebuild our economy from the ground up around fairness and sustainability.

Plan Highlights:

• WE MUST ADAPT TO A NEW ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT. We are entering a new age characterized by two prominent trends: labor automation (driven by increasingly powerful artificial intelligence and robotics) and climate change (due to underinvestment in and mismanagement of our natural resources). We must adapt our economy by offering free universal benefits (care, housing, income and education), harnessing natural energy, developing green infrastructure and cultivating local ecosystems. Embracing research and innovation, particularly automation technologies, is key to building a fair and sustainable economy.
• WE MUST EMPOWER CITIES TO DRIVE INNOVATION. Given cities are home to over 82% of the United States population (projected to grow to 90% by 2050) and the main source of carbon emissions, our plan focuses on urban and suburban areas. To address the mounting and intersectional problems of economic unfairness and environmental destruction, Smart Cities will create a confederation of public-owned enterprises that operate in every city and generate economic surplus on behalf of the People. We will unify our cities around a cohesive strategy and common infrastructure, and we will redesign neighborhood economies from the bottom up to empower local communities.
• THE TIME FOR ACTION IS NOW. The accelerating rate of technological advancement and climate change underscores the urgency with which we must act. Experts estimate that 47% of jobs that exist today will be eliminated and that we are running out of time to transform our energy system to one of renewable sources and efficient use. Systemic change requires a nationally coordinated effort and full-scale mobilization, but our politicized government has proven incapable of acting responsibly and innovating solutions. Change must therefore come from the private sector, directly from the People.

BACKGROUND

The United States economy is large, sophisticated and highly productive. As a result of present-day automation technologies like artificial intelligence and robotics, it is becoming increasingly efficient. But it is structured to enrich few at the expense of many, and to grow corporate profits today at the expense of our planet’s survivability tomorrow.

Problem

Due to centuries of economic advancement that benefited the elites of society while leaving behind the masses, as well as more recent profligacy, exploitation of natural resources, and underinvestment in our people and infrastructure, we face two overlapping challenges:

ECONOMIC UNFAIRNESS: Our jobs as we know them are going away. Automation by computers has already impacted our economy, all but eliminating once-lucrative service-sector jobs. Bank tellers have been replaced by ATMs. Financial analysts have been replaced by computer algorithms. And it is only a matter of time before drivers are replaced by self-driving vehicles, fashion models and actors by computer-generated images, baristas and store clerks by digital kiosks, and sales agents and accountants by artificial intelligence. Computers could replace more than 47 percent of the activities people are paid to perform today. Absent significant changes, we are facing an unprecedented economic crisis, where very few of us prosper wildly and too many of us are left with nothing.

ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION: Climate change is a global crisis. According to a United States Presidential Memorandum in September 2016, climate change presents a “significant and growing threat to national security, both at home and abroad.” In addition to posing an existential risk, “climate change and its associated impacts affect economic prosperity, public health and safety, and international stability.” Experts say that we need to transform our energy system to one of renewable sources and efficient use by 2030. We need a coordinated global response to reconfigure our economy, cut emissions and achieve carbon neutrality.

Opportunity

With the accelerating pace of labor automation, we are entering a new era of industrial transformation, in which powerful artificial intelligence and robotics will enable heightened economic efficiency and breakthrough innovations.

In short, the twin trends of economic unfairness and climate change require us to retool our economy; automation will enable it. The same technologies that are eating up our jobs could work for us — to harvest our food, construct our buildings and homes, manufacture our products, service our daily needs and collectively generate sufficient economic surplus to support the entire population. Smart Cities aims to leverage automation technologies and infrastructure to redesign industry and drive toward economic fairness and environmental sustainability.

ECONOMIC FAIRNESS: Economic productivity from automation allows us to rewrite our social contract and institute universal economic rights: care, housing, income, education and freedom. These rights, CHIEF, not only protect one’s ability to live in the modern age (i.e., economic security); they represent an investment in our future labor force (i.e., economic opportunity).

• Care: comprehensive care so you can live well.
• Housing: a place of your own so you can feel safe.
• Income: money to pay for food and essentials.
• Education: skills to pursue your passions.
• Freedom: independence and security to choose your own path.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: The introduction of new automation technologies affords us an opportunity to modernize our infrastructure and redesign our business practices around energy efficiency, climate and community resiliency, and environmental sustainability. We will launch and scale an end-to-end green economy and, in doing so, facilitate adoption by the rest of the private sector.

• Harness free natural energy. Develop renewable energy sources, storage, and distribution.
• Reengineer green infrastructure. Build energy-efficient and environment-friendly technology, materials, and processes.
• Cultivate local ecosystems. Create neighborhood economies that facilitate local sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution of goods and services.

THE SMART CITIES PLAN

Smart Cities will be a public sector economy, an intercity confederation of private enterprises that offer a public option for everything, construct public infrastructure, and generate profit to fund public benefits, including universal care, housing, income and education.

Objectives:

• Develop renewable energy sources, pioneer sustainable practices and upgrade infrastructure to support the new economy.
• Ignite innovation, cultivate new industries and build high-quality products and services.
• Generate profit and distribute income and benefits.
• Prepare our people for future jobs.

The Smart Cities platform will consist of three parts:

• Blockchain: a decentralized digital architecture, the Smart Cities Blockchain.
• Currency: a proprietary digital currency, Americoin.
• Enterprises: a confederation of private companies, USA Enterprises.

Smart Cities Blockchain

The Smart Cities Blockchain will be a secure, scalable, and reliable blockchain that will serve as the digital infrastructure for the Smart Cities platform, and the foundation for Americoin, our proprietary smart currency. Products and services from USA Enterprises will be architected for privacy and security using the Smart Cities Blockchain.

Americoin

Americoin will be a smart currency built on the Smart Cities blockchain. Designed for security, simplicity, and flexibility, it will support the Smart Cities ecosystem with financial infrastructure and enable dynamic applications. Americoin will serve four purposes:

• currency of USA Enterprises and a method of payment and smart contracts at participating third-party merchants.
• funding mechanism for our initial launch and ongoing development and infrastructure projects.
• distribution vehicle for universal basic income and other public benefits.
• savings account (each purchased coin will be interest-bearing).

USA Enterprises

USA Enterprises will be a confederation of private enterprises that will develop green infrastructure, generate profit through the sale of goods and services, and fund public benefits. Our companies will collectively address our economic and environmental challenges and ensure that the fruits of labor automation are produced sustainably and distributed equitably.

• USA Labs: research and development. USA Labs will be the research and development arm of Smart Cities. It will be responsible for pioneering and commercializing new tools and technologies, including the Smart Cities blockchain and Americoin platform, electronics, digital media, communications, information systems, transportation, and smart city infrastructure. Built on the Smart Cities Blockchain, USA Go will serve as a universal digital identity and portal to the Smart Cities ecosystem of products and services, including an operating system, social network, email and communications platform, calendar and productivity suite, data/content locker, digital wallet, user-generated content platform, mapping and navigation program, streaming channel, search engine, and personal assistant. Our early-stage science research organization, USA Research, will seed the innovation pipeline with new intellectual property and facilitate productization across economic sectors, in areas like renewable energy, sustainable materials and industrial practices, wireless power, on-demand manufacturing, urban and regenerative farming, clean meat and food production, artificial intelligence, sensors, internet of things, robotics, drones, quantum computing, cybersecurity, biotechnology, neural interface, immersive technologies, high-speed transit, autonomous vehicles and urban mobility, satellites, and sea and space exploration.
• USA Markets: goods and services. USA Markets will manufacture, distribute, sell, and deliver all products and services, including electronics, home goods, gardening tools, office supplies, clothing, shoes, jewelry, toys, pet supplies, sporting goods, beauty and health products, travel and tourism, food and grocery items, and automotive and other vehicles. It will comprise online markets via USA Go and offline commerce with physical shops, restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, theaters, and entertainment and recreation venues. Our urban agriculture initiative, USA Farms, will develop city-based farms using vertical farming and hydroponic techniques.
• USA Studios: art, culture, and entertainment. USA Studios will produce art, culture, and entertainment, including photography, design, fashion, art, architecture, dance, theater, performances, movies, television, music, radio, books, magazines, games, interactive media, augmented and virtual reality, sports, esports, events, museums, science centers, location-based entertainment, and theme parks.
• USA Works: resources, infrastructure, and city services. USA Works will be the resources, energy, transportation, and infrastructure arm of Smart Cities, responsible for developing and maintaining all public works projects in and between cities. USA Energy will construct new solar, wind, and geothermal energy sources and a smart electric grid. USA Ways will develop new transportation infrastructure, including high-speed passenger and cargo hyperloop, rail and autonomous vehicle super-highways, ports, airports, heliports, spaceports, nationwide electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and USA Rides, a point-to-point transit service using a network of driverless vehicles. USA Works will retrofit and upgrade existing cities’ infrastructure, including roads, buildings, dams, harbors and waterways, transit and delivery systems, hospitals, parks, recreation facilities, schools, libraries, cultural venues, arenas and stadiums, and services like broadband, water, waste management, plumbing, power, snow plowing, street cleaning, and sanitation. And it will create new 100% green cities, like CityAmerica, which will be a prototype smart city at the heart of the United States mainland. USA Nature will be responsible for land maintenance and resource management, including clean mining, soil recarbonization, and reforestation.
• USA Care: comprehensive care and rehabilitation. USA Care will offer high-quality personalized care, including USA Health for health care, USA Well for mental health and wellness services, and USA Life for rehabilitation. It will also offer child care, senior care, emergency care, and veterinary care.
• USA Homes: real estate and housing. USA Homes will create and manage smart home campuses, offering free and affordable modular housing units with integrated amenities, including parks, gardens, farms, co-working spaces, entertainment, recreation facilities, and protection, safety, and wellness services.
• USA Talent: education and training. USA Talent will offer end-to-end education services, including early development, pre-K to 12, and vocational training, and facilitate open access to information, technology, and skills training programs. It will focus on preparing people for jobs of the future and will offer five development tracks in the areas of food, entertainment, technology, care, and home, collectively the FETCH economy. Schools will be equipped with collaborative workspaces, state-of-the-art technology, and creative sandboxes, and libraries will be transformed into learning laboratories that feature modern tools and resources like 3D printers, virtual production studios, music recording studios, and virtual reality simulators. We will integrate learning activities into public spaces and community programming, and provide parents with additional support and resources to create more effective at-home learning environments. Apprenticeships and real-world learning opportunities will be seamlessly woven into USA Enterprises.

CityAmerica

CityAmerica, one of USA Works’ marquee projects, will be a prototype city of the future: a living urban laboratory, built from the ground up to incubate and scale new technologies and infrastructure. It will also be where we pilot our free programs and services, like USA Income, USA Care, USA Homes, and USA Talent. Every aspect of CityAmerica will be designed for resident happiness.

Located at the geographic heart of the mainland, it will be the headquarters for the Smart Cities confederation and a hub for our next-generation transit system, USA Ways, linking all cities by high-speed transit by 2030. Part of a $25 trillion infrastructure project, USA Ways will include a network of tunnels, tubes, railways, and highways, and be designed for safety, reliability, and speed, enabling intercity commutes of under five hours for over 80% of the United States population.

Organization & Governance

Smart Cities belongs to the People. We will use a secure member voting system built on the Smart Cities Blockchain to democratically elect a Board of Directors. The Board will be responsible for hiring all executives, coordinating all activities, and setting the long-term strategic direction of the confederation.

Smart Cities International

The Smart Cities plan scales to the rest of the world. We will make our technology and the Smart Cities Blockchain available to other nations, cities, and territories to reconfigure their own economies around fairness and sustainability.

CONCLUSION

In the age of automation, nobody should need to work to live, no one’s freedom should come at the expense of another’s, and no resources should be used without replenishment. Our mission is to build a fair and sustainable economy. In doing so, we hope to empower the disenfranchised and inspire the world to dream again.