Thematic Round Tables and Parallel Sessions
“With 20% of the Netherlands below sea level, protecting citizens from flooding and natural disasters is a priority.” Anne-Marie Jorritsma Mayor of Almere, Netherlands, President of VNG
costs and deliver improved outcomes. Cities are a set of interconnected systems – be they local, state, provincial, national, or global. Looking closely at any city today, we find another city pulsating within it, composed of interconnected systems of many different functions and activities. Working across these interconnections, collaborating, sharing data and insights can yield the most desired and impactful outcomes. Anne-Marie Jorritsma, Almere, Netherlands, indicated that with 20% of the Netherlands below sea level, protecting citizens from flooding and natural disasters is a priority. High quality basic infrastructure is the expectation. A smart society should be the focus – extend beyond the boundaries. The power of data analytics is enormous as navigation solutions for traffic congestion are developed to predict and analyse early warning systems for families at risk and even forward thinking ideas like prebooking a parking space for people visiting the city. Cities should be smart followers and learn from the successful projects of other cities – share best practices and not create one-off solutions. Laudemar Aguiar, Rio, Brazil, emphasized that large events like the 2016 Olympics brings about innovation for a city, citizens
are more part of the process and care about where they live. Long-term strategies must be in place and technology and innovation must work together in an integrated way. An example is the Rio Operations Centre – all public services are monitored to improve response for the citizens, improving the quality of life. Social media is an explosive force and citizens are using it to communicate with their city leaders. 85% of the population in Brazil lives in urban areas and so solutions are critical to the success of cities. H.E. Hassan Ali Joho, Mombasa, Kenya, recalled that Mombasa is a Port city with a population of 1.2 million. Budgets are tight but citizens have high expectations such as clean water, new bridges and infrastructure, and responses to public safety. The government must be results-driven and there needs to be a horizontal view of government. National government plays an important role in developing the policies of the country but they are too far away from the citizens to organize projects that matter to the citizens quickly. Local governments are key on the ground for citizens and in collaborations between the public and private sectors through which there has been substantial success. A committed and accountable government is required. With regards to the terrible incident in the mall in Kenya, the role of social media in the midst of the situation meant that what was happening could be shared in real-time and resulted in citizens giving to the victims – more than $1M was raised in a few hours.
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