Accelerator for America Launches the Inaugural i3 Cohort

September 6, 2023

This week Accelerator for America (AFA) announced the inaugural cohort of 10 cities participating in the Innovative Infrastructure Initiative (i3), which is an AFA partnership with Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP) to help cities accelerate transformative infrastructure projects by providing technical assistance and peer learning. The cohort cities convened for the first time today.

The i3 cohort cities are:

  • Albuquerque, New Mexico

  • Chattanooga, Tennessee

  • Johnson County, Kansas

  • Kansas City, Missouri

  • Lansing, Michigan

  • Louisville, Kentucky

  • Riverside, California

  • San Diego, California

  • Scranton, Pennsylvania

  • Tulsa, Oklahoma

“Our i3 initiative isn’t just about helping these 10 cities. We know that our collective work will identify and develop innovative ways for cities across the country, and of all sizes, to deliver modern infrastructure projects that strengthen families, communities and economies,” said Mary Ellen Wiederwohl, President and CEO of Accelerator for America.


"We are excited to welcome these 10 communities into i3's inaugural cohort in partnership with Accelerator for America," said David Gilford, Head of Policy and Strategic Partnerships at SIP. "These projects are poised to create accessible, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure, and we look forward to helping each community leverage innovation to bring their visions to life."

The cities’ projects include converting city facilities to solar power, comprehensive electric vehicle charging infrastructure deployment, development of tech-enabled multimodal transportation hubs, significant community and economic development projects, innovative reuse of public land, and much more. 

Lansing Mayor Andy Schor has been a long time partner to AFA and pursued Lansing's participation in the i3 cohort to advance the city's clean energy goals.

"Lansing is excited to join the inaugural i3 cohort alongside Accelerator for America and cities across the country. To reach the City’s 100% carbon neutrality goal by 2050, outlined in our Sustainability Action Plan, the City must lead by example and convert City-owned buildings to renewable energy solutions, such as solar,” Mayor Andy Schor of Lansing said. “We are eager to learn alongside other cities in this cohort to create a more resilient and eco-conscious community right here in Lansing.”

Lansing City Hall 

Albuquerque is joining the i3 to continue the growth of the Albuquerque International Sunport, and how it can serve as a hub for multimodal transportation and the city’s overall interconnectivity.

"The City of Albuquerque is grateful to be part of Accelerator for America's i3 cohort to engage experts, learn best practices, and advance our planning efforts for a multi-modal development project at the Albuquerque International Sunport,” said Mayor Tim Keller of Albuquerque. “The rehabilitation of the Sunport rail spur and the development of the surrounding property will help us reimagine advanced transportation connectivity and encourage economic development in the region.”

 

The Albuquerque International Sunport

 

Similarly, Scranton’s Mayor Paige Cognetti, has joined the cohort to maximize the city’s efforts to make Scranton a more accessible multi-modal city and restore Scranton’s “Electric City” nickname. 

"The next phases of Scranton’s downtown transformation are exciting, but complicated,” said Mayor Paige Cognetti of Scranton. We are grateful to be working with Accelerator’s i3 team to help us achieve our goals.”

 

The famous Scranton Electric Building in downtown Scranton, PA. 

 

PartnerTulsa has been leading community engagement and development of the Kirkpatrick Heights-Greenwood Masterplan and is ready to move forward on three key development sites. 

"Over the past two-plus years, the City has worked to support community leaders as they developed the Kirkpatrick Heights-Greenwood Master Plan, which establishes a transformational vision for nearly 56-acres of publicly owned land in North Tulsa,” Mayor G.T. Bynum said. “We recognize that rapid implementation of this vision is critical to the long-term success of the plan, and our commitment of $7 million in implementation funding will provide critical initial resources. We are thrilled to match these initial resources with the support of Accelerator for America and the Innovative Infrastructure Initiative (i3) as we seek to develop and deploy creative funding and public finance strategies that will allow us to accelerate implementation of the plan while reducing the burden of infrastructure costs on future developers.”

 

A reimagining of Kirkpatrick Heights - Greenwood based on PartnerTulsa's master plan. 

 

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria is overseeing a period of huge growth for his city, necessitating a long overdue overhaul of the city’s facilities, civic center, and creation of much needed affordable housing units.

"Being part of the inaugural Accelerator for America Innovative Infrastructure Initiative is a tremendous opportunity,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. “The initiative gives us the chance to work with a broad array of national experts, leverage state and federal funding sources, and deploy new technology as we embark on a once-in-a-generation effort to revitalize our Downtown civic core.”

 

San Diego's Civic Theatre within the Downtown civic core. 

 

Riverside, California and Louisville, Kentucky have both joined the i3 cohort to ensure their communities can benefit from the incredible opportunities and investments the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides for electric vehicle charging deployment.

"Last year, the City of Riverside was recognized as the number one Green Fleet in North America by the National Association of Fleet Administrators. We're thrilled to join the inaugural i3 cohort, as it will provide us the tools and resources needed to continue leading in the space of fleet transition,” said Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson.

"Louisville Metro Government has committed to converting to 100% clean energy for Louisville Metro Government operations by 2035, and zero emissions citywide by 2040,” said Mayor Craig Greenberg. “The expansion of electric vehicles is one tactic to help us get to our goals, and we want to make sure we’re approaching this transition in a way that is strategic and equitable. The i3 cohort is a great opportunity for peer-to-peer learning and resource sharing as we seek to make investments to improve sustainability and quality of life throughout our county.”

 

Louisville will utilize the i3 cohort to expand metro's EV fleet.

 

Chattanooga, like many cities, has a backlog of deferred maintenance projects that inhibit the longevity of their infrastructure. The city hopes to take an ambitious approach that will save the city time and money, while simultaneously addressing multiple needs at once.

"We're thrilled to be in AFA's inaugural cohort of cities participating in the Innovative Infrastructure Initiative (i3)," said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. "Our city's continued growth has created an inflection point for its leaders, and the infrastructure projects we're taking on today are setting course for Chattanooga's future. The technical assistance and subject matter expertise available through i3 will help us maximize the impact of our bridge maintenance bundling effort, which is a project focused on extending the useful life of city-owned structures so that they can continue to reliably serve current and future residents."

 
 

The greater Kansas City metropolitan area is one of few regions in the country that share services across state lines. With the recent opening of the brand new Kansas City International airport terminal, as well as 2026 World Cup hosting duties on the horizon, Kansas City, Missouri and Johnson County, Kansas have both joined the i3 cohort to address various transportation challenges to assist in their regional growth, as well as removing barriers that have served to separate and cut off neighbors from one another.

"In Johnson County we are focused on growing and expanding our community and our region, and our transit infrastructure needs to be consistent, reliable and focused on the future. With the World Cup coming to our region in 2026, we have the opportunity to leverage our i3 cohort in our preparation for not just 2026 but for sustainable transit for years to come,” said Chairman Mike Kelly.

"More than two decades ago, the construction of Highway 71 bulldozed through Black neighborhoods, resulting in the displacement of hundreds of Black Kansas Citians, said Mayor Quinton Lucas. Today, Highway 71 is one of Kansas City’s most dangerous highways for pedestrians and drivers, particularly for those who still live around the highway and are forced to cross it to access grocery stores, health care, bus lines, and jobs. As we lay the groundwork to correct the wrongs of the past, reconnect communities once torn apart, and create a safer, more interconnected Kansas City, I am proud to be participating in Accelerator for America’s Innovative Infrastructure Initiative (i3).”

 
 

To learn more about the Innovative Infrastructure Initiative, the inaugural i3 Cohort and its participating communities, please reach out to i3’s Program Manager, Zach Etzin, at zach@acceleratorforamerica.org.

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