Create synergies and inspire collaborations around the development of intelligent infrastructure for human‐centered communities

Today there is the emerging horizon of smart infrastructure due to rapid developments in artificial intelligence, embedded sensing, pervasive computing, and ubiquitous mobility. To navigate this landscape and drive innovations, Virginia Tech launched the strategic development of Intelligent Infrastructure for Human Centered Communities or IIHCC. It is timely to study the integrative design process and transdisciplinary discourse for the “smart” future. This study employed qualitative research methods including ethnographic participant observation, document analysis, and semistructured interviews. The mixed‐methods approach is especially useful for capturing typical scenarios, emergent issues, and practical examples surrounding the smart infrastructure endeavors and the array of challenges and creative frictions encountered. Taking a sociotechnical perspective, this study explored how IIHCC can achieve significant program synergies and inspire new collaborations across intellectual boundaries. Furthermore, it investigated how libraries can work collaboratively and constructively with the community to build a stimulating culture of a transdisciplinary mechanism and collective intelligence. Tying all these together, the study then discusses how we can achieve a synergistic discourse by way of data as distinct unifiers for cross‐domain collaborations. It concludes by presenting multidimensional opportunities and multispectral engagement for libraries to potentially chart a new course and become a driving force in this evolution.