Giving the opening keynote in an international meeting is always a challenge : how to provide a global view while generating some degree of empathy that will help you reach out to the brains and hearts of an audience with which you have had no previous interaction ?
Miami’s Smart City Expo (held from 23 to 25 September) was not different from my previous experiences in that role. However, there was a special warmth and a rather unique degree of ‘togetherness’ that made this event very special.
Of course, this is largely due to the personality and experience of the event’s inspirer and leader,
Bernardo Scheinkman, but also to the incredibly powerful and talented lineup who showed up for the occasion.
The two days were packed with high quality presentations about key aspects, challenges and achievements of smart cities.
In my opening keynote, I insisted on the importance to equip ourselves and our decision makers with an updated definition of smart cities. I offered my own ‘POSITIVE’ definition (People-centric, Open, Sustainable, Inclusive, Tech savvy, Innovative, Versatile and in constant search of Excellence).
I was inspired by what I heard from Dr. Janice Perlman, founder of the Mega-Cities Project, about social cohesion and resilience in urban development, and Dr. Patricia McCarney, president and CEO of the World Council on City Data, on the need for standardizing data for cities. Alan Scott (Intertek) spoke about climate adaptation and mitigation whereas Sarbeswar Praharaj focused on transportation and housing. Tim Sperry from Carbon Limit stressed the importance of innovative materials to reduce carbon emissions.
Current debates on the roles of AI in shaping cities’ future were very well illustrated by the CEO of Human Future, Dr. Jonathan Reichental, Raimundo Rodulfo, Dr. Edna Pasher and Dr. José Antonio Ondiviela. A highlight of the event was the intervention of Paul Doherty, President and CEO of The Digit Group, who provided a thought-provoking glimpse into the future of AI-powered cities, in reality and in the Metaverse.
The conversation also explored the intersection of urban design and human resilience through Angela Mazzi and Megan Mazzocco, as well as Yohany Albornoz, while Victor Dover focused on street design.
Sustainability was a major theme throughout the event. Dr. Thomas Spiegelhalter, gave a compelling presentation on Envisioning Carbon-Positive, Resilient Coastal Urban Environments, whereas Gianluca Galletto, followed with a session on New Energy Models in Cities to Fight Climate Change.
