Smart City
Smart City Expo World Congress 2016
“Cities for Citizen. Citizen change cities.” This slogan was not only a mere catchphrase for the 2016 Smart City Expo World Congress that was held in Barcelona. It did also reflect the good spirit of this particular event that acknowledge cities leading role as an actor of change in creating a more lifeable environment for its citizen and at the same time recongnised the important of citizen participation in shaping cities towards a better sustainable urban future.
As stated from the facebook page of SCEWC the three-day event was attended by 591 exhibitors, 16,688 attendees and 420 experts. Through this event various stakeholders with different backgrounds were able to witness innovation, exchange ideas and aquire knowledges that have answers to the challenges that cities all over the world are currently facing.
I personally would like to express my gratitude for the Naumann Foundation in Indonesia that gave me the opportunity to attend the SCEWC congress. This event openend my eye that big cities in Indonesia are lagging far behind in terms of technology, sustainable urban planning, smart innovation, ICT (Information and communication technology), environmental managment system and so forth. On the other hand it motivates me to give back valuable insight that I have gained through the congress sessions, the discussion conducted with FNF colleagues from Belgrade, the exchange of ideas with new partner and the experience to try Bracelona’s public facility, by conducting a better climate change related political education programs for the upcoming year.
The congress was opened by a keynote session that focused on defining the concept of smart city. Speakers all agrees that the use of technology has to empower people and solve future world challenges. Data plays a paramount role in improving city services. Therefore government should be willing to collaborate openly with corporation and start-ups regarding data exchange. Following the keynote session, there was single session held by Kent Larsson, who shared that there are three prequisites in transforming a city into a smart liveable cities. These perequisites are density, proximity and diversity. The speaker also share his invention of modeling with data unit, where he use lego stones technology to plan cities transportation, housing and other public facilities.
On the second day, I visited a couple of exhibitors that offer interesting smart products. Austria for instance has generated an application for parking solution. With this technology car driver does not have to waste the time in searching for a parking spot that is based on a medieval system called luck. From Italy, the exhibitor WeCity has a smart product that try to change human behavior. The app that WeCIty invented try to reward people to commute in a sustainable way. The App will measure all earned CO2 credits of the app user after every daily commute that has been performed without car or vehicle that pollutes CO2. The earned credits can be exchanged with discounted vouchers.
On the last day of the congress,. I visited a plenary solution that highlighted the role of startups in innovating cites. A government representative form Tel Aviv stated that the city has a policy to provide data for everyone exept security related data. In addition, Tel Aviv provide a start-up hub that provide free internet and working spaces to a period of 3-6 months for start-up newcomers. Furthermore, start-up founders from Dubrovnik have made several applications that have a purpose to transform the city of Dubrovnik into a smart city. Start-up founder in Dubrovnik believe that citizen participation is a key element to make a city becoming smarter. Moreover, Phillip Boutellier from Berlin emphasized that subsidy will not discipline start-ups and limited government interference is key factor to stir innovation for start-ups.
By and large this congress has been a fruitful ground for optimistic individuals that share more or less the same vision in regards of providing a better condition for present generation and the future generation that are living in cities. Despite similar vision, there are always different means to achieve the ultimate goal called prosperity. Contestation of means and ideas are always good for an healthy open society. Listening to suggestion, accepting different means, sometimes giving in and understand the need of action will embrace to my understanding an open society that will provide smart solutions to the problems and challenges of cities.
