Smart Cities 2012

Too often we think of the city as the cause of societal ills; from urban unrest to congestion to climate change to pollution, the city is seen as the problem, rather than the solution. But in a smarter city environment – one defined by cutting-edge technology deployments, integrated urban planning, sustainable methodologies and a dash of unorthodox thinking – the city holds the potential to address many of these challenges and provide the staging post to a cleaner, better and brighter future.

Key takeaways:

• Learn why underperforming systems are opportunities for improvement rather than just areas for concern

• Hear how looking at problems from unconventional viewpoints can produce unexpected – and positive – results

At the turn of the last century, only 13 percent of the world’s population lived in cities; two years ago, for the first time ever, more than half of us were city dwellers and by 2050 that number is expected to rise to 70 percent. Yet that huge urban influx means many cities are now groaning under the weight of a sudden, massive and unprecedented demand for space, services and resources. What challenges does the 21st century city face – and more importantly, where do the solutions lie?

Key takeaways:

• Establish where the pressure points lie and how to address them

• Hear from a panel of experts on smarter cities in action – real-world examples of how authorities are adding intelligence to their cities

By 2025, buildings will use more energy than any other category of consumer. Heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, lights, water, elevators, the power and cooling for technology and people: all contribute to making buildings a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. They also consume up to 40% of the world’s natural resources. So how do we make our buildings smarter?

Key takeaways:

• Discover how sustainable building techniques and energy efficient materials can contribute to a city’s green credentials

• Learn how building management systems can reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment

As urban populations rise, so too does the amount of waste those city dwellers generates. Traditionally, this would have gone straight to landfill; but there is another way. Recycling and waste-to-energy – where waste is diverted from landfill and used as a source of renewable energy – is crucial to the long-term health of our cities.

Key takeaways:

• Learn how smart cities are implementing solutions such as recycling and waste-to-energy

• Find out why citizen education (and buy-in) is critical, and how to achieve it

The movement of people and freight across and between cities is critical to economic vitality and quality of life, and as such, transport operators must balance capacity needs while addressing several imperatives: predicting demand; optimizing transportation infrastructure and assets; improving the traveler experience; improving operational efficiencies; reducing emissions; and maintaining safety and security. So how can intelligent transport solutions in a smarter city environment help address these requirements?

Key takeaways:

• Examine successful ITS strategies in cities around the world

• Discuss options for how to decarbonise the transportation sector through low/zero-emissions alternatives

• Learn how to embrace emerging vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure technologies

The rapid development of IT has produced an unprecedented wealth of information. Handheld electronics, location devices, networks and a wide assortment of tags and sensors are constantly producing a rich stream of data reflecting various aspects of urban life. For urban planners and designers, these digital traces are valuable sources of data in capturing the pulse of the city in rich temporal and spatial detail. But how do you make sense of such information in order to make meaningful decisions on city planning and resource allocation?

Key takeaways:

• Find out how to apply the pervasive computing paradigm to urban spaces

• Hear how data collection and analysis is improving city management

They share some of the same goals, but is a sustainable city a truly smart city? The concept of sustainability is often associated with green concerns and, as it relates to cities, improving the built environment. But is it time for a new definition of sustainability – one that encompasses economic, societal, and other considerations as well as environmental aspects?

Key takeaways:

• Learn how to make sustainable developments ‘smart’

• Discuss practical ideas for developing green city solutions that also contribute to improvements in the economy and wider society

There is no single silver bullet solution to making our cities smarter; the right approach can only be found in a network of interconnected solutions. But for such a network to succeed, the right backbone must be put in place first – which means telecommunications solutions will play a key role in enabling the city of the future. So how are authorities and telco operators meeting the technology infrastructure needs of smarter, more sustainably minded citizens – and future-proofing their cities in the process?

Key takeaways:

• Discover how state-of-the-art telecommunications can transform your city, and understand how to implement them into your existing infrastructures

• Share knowledge, best practice and ideas that truly work in a real-world setting

Cities are on the frontline in addressing global climate change. In a recent study, 43% reported that they are already dealing with the effects of climate change including more hot days, increased frequency of heat waves, more intense rainfall, increased severity of storms and floods and rising sea levels. Such changes have serious implications for buildings, infrastructure, water supply, energy supply and human health. City leaders need to rethink urban planning in ways that will better manage urban sprawl and address growing climate-induced urban problems.

Key takeaways:

• Learn how to manage urban sprawl, reduce your city’s carbon footprint and improve its green credentials

• Take part in an interactive discussion with a true industry leader

One of the benefits of building a new city from scratch is the ability to learn from the mistakes of the past. Unhindered by existing infrastructural constraints, Greenfield developments are able to look at urban planning problems from a fresh perspective. What can these pilot projects tell us about how the smart city of 2050 will function? And how can cities benefit from the insights gained from such projects, both around the region as well as further afield?

Key takeaways:

• Learn what pilot projects tell us about how the smart city of 2050 will function

• Explore innovative uses of technology that will help redefine the city around us

• Find out what lessons legacy cities can learn from pilot schemes when it comes to thinking smarter

The next big design and development idea of the upcoming 50 years is going to be retrofitting suburbia. Whether it’s redeveloping dying malls, re-inhabiting dead big-box stores or reconstructing wetlands and recreational areas out of abandoned parking lots, the growing number of empty and underperforming sites throughout the suburban landscape represents a huge redevelopment opportunity.

Key takeaways:

• Find out what lessons legacy cities can learn from pilot schemes when it comes to thinking smarter

• Hear from a panel of experts on smarter cities in action – real-world examples of how authorities are adding intelligence to their cities

Water scarcity is now widely recognised as the greatest resource risk of the 21st century. But growing awareness that water is a limited resource, along with the advent of new technologies in urban water management, are redrawing the boundaries of what is possible in terms of managing this precious resource.

Key takeaways:

• Discover how to spearhead a culture change in the perception of water value

• Discuss the options available to city authorities and planners in conserving, managing and maximising their water resources

With demand for energy soaring, the need to consider alternative sources of power, heating and cooling grows ever more important – and the commercial and environmental arguments for clean energy and district heating to be central elements of the intelligent city become even stronger. But can clean energy really power tomorrow’s cities? What is the role of renewable energy? Is district heating the solution? And what is the role of utilities in realising such a scenario?

Key takeaways:

• Listen to case studies from successful district heating and clean energy projects, and understand how to implement your own

• Discuss what the energy paradigm of the future will look like

As global population growth continues to accelerate in the coming decades, especially in urban areas, smart information and communication technologies will be at the forefront of the effort to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of utility systems and services – everything from power to water to transport. But how successful have such schemes been to date? And what can we learn from them going forward?

Key takeaways:

• Share and evaluate the lessons learned from current pilot projects

• Discuss ways to improve upon current implementations and adapt the lessons learned to your own situation

Often, it is the tiny efforts of many rather than the large efforts of just a few that can prove the difference between success and failure. Creating a smarter city isn’t just about expensive technology deployments; it’s also about encouraging citizens to make smarter choices about how they live, work, travel and consume. But how do you empower those citizens to take responsibility for their actions and change their behaviours if necessary?

Key takeaways:

• Learn how to engage citizens in smart city initiatives at the local level

• Discuss practical ideas for grass roots and community projects

Inefficient transport and water systems, pollution, increasing security risks and access to effective telecommunications are just some of the challenges central to a city achieving its financial, economic, social and environmental goals. How can an integrated planning approach that takes into account each different infrastructure element help in this regard?

Key takeaways:

• Discover why communication and collaboration is the bedrock for any successful planning project

• Learn how to improve forecasting, budgeting and the overall planning process

This new urban environment – where rapidly rising populations are placing ever-greater pressures on both natural resources and public services – increasingly requires new ways of looking at the world around us. Is it enough to simply evolve the methodologies and approaches we already have, or is a fresh take on the challenges required? Do we need an approach out of leftfield to radically alter our views?

Key takeaways:

• Learn how out-of-the-box thinking can transform the way we think about urban management solutions

• Apply lessons from outside the sector to transform the way you look at problems