Why smart cities need pre-disaster recovery plans
By Jon Glasco. In 2023, the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than a century devastated Lahaina, a small town on the island of Maui in Hawaii. It started when a grass fire was ignited after high winds snapped a power line. Although the initial fire was reported as “contained” by firefighters, the flames …...
After the Storm: A Winding Road to Disaster Recovery
By Jon Glasco. Considering the frequency of disasters and the scale of human suffering and economic loss, the urgency of effective disaster recovery becomes apparent. The world witnessed, on average, a disaster a day in 2023, causing more than 86,000 fatalities and $203 billion in damages while disrupting the lives of 93 million people,...
Rethinking Urban Logistics in the On-Demand Economy
By Jon Glasco. Rethinking urban logistics is a core part of any smart city strategy. Wander through a European city on a warm evening, and you’ll likely encounter some pedestrian-friendly streets perfect for leisurely strolls. However, return the next morning, and the scene is transformed. The less walkable streets are crowded with...
Beyond the Metropolis: Recognizing the Value of a Smart Rural Europe, by Jon Glasco
The development of Smart European Cities needs to happen in parallel to a Smart Rural Europe agenda. An estimated 70% of Europe’s land area is used for agriculture or covered by forestry. “The vital role of agricultural and rural development deeply affects the economic, social and environmental aspects of every EU member state.”...
Small Communities, Big Ideas: The Evolution of Three Smart Villages, by Jon Glasco
Megacities like Paris, London and New York capture smart city headlines in recent years, mainly because they are centers of economic, technological and innovative power. While small communities and smart villages in peripheral areas receive less attention, they offer value through innovation in biodiversity, climate resilience,...
Democratizing co-production of sustainable public services. 23rd Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research. 15-17 June 2022
On June, 16th I will be participating in the the Digital Government Society (DGS)’s 23rd Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research – dg.o 2022, with a theme “Opportunities, risk and policies in smarter cities: Intelligent Technologies, Governments and Citizens” dg.o 2022 will be hosted by the Graduate...
Jaime Lerner. How erratic states can learn from cities
Jaime Lerner (1937-2021), knew that “cities were the solution, not the problem”. So acting on cities is a smart strategy to help heal the world from some of its most acute threats. The combined success of cities and political influence of mayors reflect the fact that cities, nowadays, are an engine of economic growth and source opportunities to contribute to the solution of a great portion of the problems that challenge our societies.
3GPP: Smart Cities Should Engage With Mobile Standards Developers, by Jon Glasco
A challenge for smart cities is to identify the impact of new standards and technologies and determine how 5G standards development creates (or constrains) opportunities for urban innovation.
William Mitchell “E-topia…”: smart, green and lean cities
The book by William Mitchell “E-topia. Urban life, Jim – but not as we know it” was one of the first works containing the concept of Smart Cities. Mitchell, who was the Dean of the M.I.T. School of Architecture and Planning from 1992 until his death in 2010, analyzes the changes that sensors, software, mobile devices, computing and telecommunications bring to our daily life, social behavior and economics.
Smart Cities and Universities -or “Univercities”-, by Jon Glasco
Collaboration between smart cities and universities can have very positive impacts. There is a growing interest in urban matters for research and academia.
