Green Smart City Busan Forum
Green Smart City Busan Forum: People-centered Sustainable City
What are the ways to implement a smart, yet sustainable city? Addressing this vital question, the "Green Smart City Busan Forum: People-Centered Sustainable City" was held in Busan, providing insights and solutions to establish a sustainable smart city. Jointly organized by FNF Korea, Busan Information & Industry Promotion Agency (BIPA), and Busan Development Institute (BDI), the forum took place successfully on July 13th at BEXCO, Busan.
The collaboration between the three organizations led to the quarterly Green Smart City Busan Forum, which aims to enhance awareness and understanding of a citizen-led smart, sustainable city among the public. The initial forum, "World Expo 2030 Busan and Smart City," held in April, paved the way for the international forum and offered an exploration of Busan's urban aspirations and the synergy between the city's development and the upcoming World Expo. The recent international forum, however, focused on sharing international best practices in sustainable smart city development, shedding light on diverse approaches and the path forward in creating a Green Smart City.
Dr. Hyun Suk Shin, Director of BDI
The forum's first session, "Digital Innovation for Sustainable Cities," featured Dr. Alfonso Vegara, Founder and President of Fundación Metrópoli, who presented the concept of "Supercities: The Intelligence of the Territory" from Spain. His focus was on enhancing connectivity between small and medium-sized cities through the concept of "poly-nuclear cities." While highlighting the significance of smart cities based on IoT technology, Dr. Vegara emphasized the crucial role of human resource development for a smart city.
Dr. Hyun Suk Shin, Director of BDI, then discussed "Busan Urban Transition with Sustainable Green Smart Strategy," highlighting Busan's achievements and challenges in its journey towards becoming a smart city. This was followed by a panel discussion featuring experts from academia and industry, providing a comprehensive perspective on the subject.
The second session, "Digital Innovation and Citizens," commenced with presentations from Dr. Hilke Marit Berger, Scientific Lead of City Science Lab (with MIT Media Lab) at HafenCity University and UNITAC (United Nations Innovation Technology Accelerator for Cities), and Prof. Dr. Gesa Ziemer, Director of City Science Lab at HafenCity University & Academic Lead of UNITAC. Both experts shared valuable insights on creating better relations with citizens through data and the global efforts for people-centered smart cities. A panel discussion followed this session as well.
The upcoming third Green Smart City Busan Forum is scheduled to take place in September.
Prof. Dr. Gesa Ziemer, Director of City Science Lab at HafenCity University & Academic Lead of UNITAC
