Nolanville— May 25, 2022 — On May 11, Dr. Wei Li, Associate Professor of Urban Planning at Texas A&M University and Director of the ENDEAVR Institute presented the City of Nolanville with a ‘Master of Smart Cities’ degree.
Criteria for this honorary degree is "any city or incorporated place committed to building capacity to utilize emerging technologies". The awardee shall have at least two years of collaboration with ENDEAVR Institute on smart-city initiatives to achieve desired socio-economic, environmental, and health outcomes and have demonstrated its capacity to independently sustain at least one project after the training support from ENDEAVR Institute and Texas A&M University.
Nolanville’s journey to this degree began in 2018 when discussions began on how to aid the underserved residents of our community better. One group of residents identified as underserved are those who could not afford transportation or were physically unable to travel independently.
By 2020, The City of Nolanville and the ENDEAVR Institute launched the ENDEAVRide program, which combined a taxi-like service and telemedicine in the exact vehicle. Since then, city staff and community volunteers have given over 40 rides a month to Nolanville residents to essential services such as hospitals, pharmacies, and grocery stores.
As of May 1, 2022, Nolanville is officially running the ENDEAVRide program independently without further support from the ENDEAVR Institute.
This remarkable feat Proves that this partnership is an excellent example of how planning and innovative ideas can provide a wealth of possibilities for the health and welfare of small communities.
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For More Information: Jennifer Shidler, Community Outreach Coordinator 254-698-6335 Jshidler@nolanvilletx.gov