How can technology serve cities?

The development of industrial and information technologies and space management concepts have always provided new tools and inspired new planning concepts to city planners and regional planners. This has, for example, been related to the development of modern transportation systems, new construction methods, new waste and water infrastructure and management systems, environmental management, etc. In parallel, we have debated over the past decades new concepts like: the rise of the new network society, the importance of technopoles, city and regional competitiveness reinforced by the development of intelligent sites and intelligent cities and territories as well as green buildings, green cities, smart cities, etc…

While acknowledging the importance of these discussions, emphasis should be placed on the extent cities are FAIR and RESPONSIVE, using their intelligence to identify and answer the needs of all their citizens and to support fostering environments for relevant businesses and cultures. Cities cannot be fair without fair national systems that set up the norms and without a culture of solidarity that embraces everyday life and institutional strategies. Visionary leaders can play an important role here demonstrating the benefit related to fair solutions - event through small scale projects. Cities and societies also need committed thinkers who discuss technology, society and city management in relation to each other and how technology can best serve society and its most vulnerable people.

© Roudaina Al Khani

28th August 2015