In September, the University of Alberta and the City of Edmonton were the first Canadian city to join the MetroLab Network, a collection of city-university partnerships. Stemming from the White House Smart Cities Initiative, the MetroLab Network aims to cultivate knowledge and expand data and technology projects in an effort to grow smart cities. The projects the City and U of A are working on within this network are technologically based, and include making buildings ‘smarter’ via models and sensors, developing software that personally converses with senior citizens and improving transportation networks by enchaining connected vehicle technology. 

Little critical work has been done on the MetroLab Network, or even on City-University partnerships more generally. Mostly, City-University partnerships are seen as positive endeavours since they can combine and strengthen shared goals between cities and universities. The MetroLab Network enables the City of Edmonton and U of A to advance their shared interests in goals of sustainable development and public health, through technology and innovation. By partnering with the U of A, the City may also be able to use the university as a test-lab for potential projects. As well, because of the ethical issues of citizen data use surrounding smart cities, the City could benefit from the added academic research provided by the University, if only to gain a level of public trust.