Opinions

Strategies must take a holistic approach encompassing people, institutions, structures and operations, say Clint Vince, founder of Dentons’ Smart Cities and Communities Think Tank, and Jennifer Morrissey, counsel at Dentons.

More cities must ramp up their climate ambition and deliver urgent action, fast, says Kyra Appleby, Global Director of Cities, States and Regions at CDP.

A simple way to control personal data could foster greater trust around smart city initiatives and open up a discussion around what citizens really find valuable – an extension of participatory budgeting, giving people a say in how they ‘spend’ their data.

Overarching strategies, funding approaches and business models all need to be adjusted if cities are to see a genuine return on their investment in smart city tech, says Itai Dadon, global head of smart cities at Itron.

New mobility options can improve the livability of cities but without the right strategy could have the polar opposite effect, say authors Giel Mertens and Rolf Bastiaanssen of Bax & Company, and Nico Larco of the University of Oregon.

Allan Mayo, Smart City Strategist, DG Cities, outlines how DG Cities is using an evidence-based tool to ensure its smart city strategy has resilience and adaptability at the core. Other cities could replicate the methodology.

Scott Shepard, Chief Commercial Officer, Free2Move, highlights lessons learned in Europe and North America about how to succeed with shared mobility so that cities can leverage the best from mobility innovations and investments.

Gianni Minetti, CEO, Paradox Engineering, makes the case for why interoperability is crucial in smart cities.

Cities play a growing role in improving the health of the general public.

Steven Kenny, Axis Communications, reflects on the challenges that influence the development of the smart city.