Page 63 - European Energy Innovation - winter 2017 publication
P. 63
Winter 2017 European Energy Innovation 63
CONNECTING THE CITIES OF THE FUTURE
Bordeaux to implement a more holistic same time, people have to have better EUROCITIES is the network of major
vision for its future. Developing the knowledge about how to manage their European cities, with over 140
political leadership, and willingness personal data online. members, representing more than
to change course is key to unlocking 130 million people.
good governance. To share learning between cities and
open up opportunities for businesses,
Our CityKeys project, which focussed we are working towards creating
on measuring the performance of common standards and better
smart cities to support better decision interoperability between systems.
making, offered a new way of working Bordeaux, a member of EUROCITIES
together with cities. In developing Knowledge Society Forum, leads
a common framework that allows our work in this area. This year we
cities to check whether their smart prepared a guide on standards and
city project is reaching its goals, and interoperability for Members of the
compare it to other examples, we European Parliament to explain why
worked together with many cities, this is important. Because smart cities
and citizens, to ensure that we offered work on a holistic approach to urban
something people truly wanted. planning, we need access to open and
Our indicators are now being used usable standards that will encourage
to benchmark the development of city administrations and businesses to
smarter urban solutions. commit long term to creating the cities
of the future.
The Green Digital Charter, initiated
by Manchester, shows that you can Tackling the broader challenges goes
have growth that is smart and inclusive beyond local competencies, and
as well as sustainable. The charter connecting the local with national and
commits 53 cities to work together to European level is key. An ongoing
reduce their carbon footprint through open dialogue between cities,
the use of smarter technologies that member states and EU policy makers
improve people’s lives. It matches would help to scale up local smart city
the commitments of the Covenant of innovation projects to the national and
Mayors and reflects most Europe 2020 European level. The urban agenda
priorities. for the EU provides an important
framework and the tools to facilitate
LONGER TERM AMBITIONS this cooperation among the different
The cities of the future will rely levels of government. It emphasises
on data, so opening up data is an the partnership approach and ensures
important initiative that brings with cities are more involved in the
it new challenges. How we use open development and implementation of
data for better decision making, EU policies with an urban dimension.
while protecting privacy, is one such
challenge. Stockholm realised that EUROCITIES has been working at
even when collecting data on how the local and international level for
people move around in an event many years to ensure that smarter city
area, the city may still have to take developments are city-led and citizen
leadership to structure traffic flows focused. By listening to our citizens
and make sure the right audience is and sharing the best practice of our
reached – such as giving direction to members, we can connect the cities of
crowds of people at a concert. At the the future. l
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