Category Smart Cities
EU Smart Cities – An Update
This is a short post to highlight the work that has started recently on 3 projects funded by the European Union specifically promoting the Smart City agenda. The projects are being funded under the Horizon 2020 programme. This policy area though funded by H2020 is being steered by a wide partnership approach. This body is […]
Cities and Regions at EU Open Days
This is just a short post to let you know about a fantastic event that happens every year in Brussels – EU Open Days – where cities and regions and a range of experts get to talk about how they are investing EU structural funds but also to consider deeper things like the review of […]
Superfast Broadband – the difficulties of delivering it in Birmingham, the UK and even France
It is strange how some posts come out of little things. I replied to a tweet (@globalbirminghm – if you didn’t know) yesterday about how France is having problems getting its plans for Next Generation Broadband part funded by the European Commission using ERDF. I tweeted, as shown, suggesting that the UK had had similar […]
Creating successful Smart Cities in 2014 will be an economic, financial and political challenge, not an engineering accomplishment
Originally posted on The Urban Technologist:
Why insurers, pension funds and politics will be more important to Smart Cities in 2014 than “Living Labs” or technology. (The 2nd Futurama exhibition at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. In 50 years’ time, how will we perceive today’s visions of Smart Cities? Photo by James Vaughan) I…
Mapping Smart Cities in the EU: A New Study
The European Parliament has just published a report mapping Smart Cities in the EU. Now firstly one must welcome this attempt to try and assess the number of ‘smart cities’ and the scale of activity across Europe. As always with such reports it is a weighty tome and hard to get to grips with. It […]
Smart Spaces – Smart Energy Bills
I came across a press release from Birmingham City Council today with a podcast outlining its involvement in a project called SmartSpaces. This is of interest to me because it is about energy saving in public buildings and it is funded through Europe. For the specialists amongst you it is funded through the CIP ICT […]
Life and Death of Smart And Green Birmingham
Intriguing title eh? Well this blog post is all about the ambition of Birmingham to become a Smart Green City. We have heard much about this in the last year as we have had strategy, visions and roadmaps launched. The latest being the Carbon Road Map that I briefly reviewed here. We await the latest […]
Birmingham’s Carbon Road Map – launched – Well done Birmingham City Council
I haven’t got time to do a full review, but as it is a very important document for the City and it has come out today I have literally skim read it. (Download it here) It does look very promising. Whilst it is good to look at, ie up to coffee table standard it is […]
Birmingham’s Mobility Action Plan – Wow what a Game Changer!
I have waited quite a time for this plan but the wait has been worthwhile. It is perhaps the most fundamental change in thinking this city has proposed in the last 30 years – ever since the city centre regeneration work got under way. So what is so radical about it. Well for once it […]
Smart Smart Smart Cities
I had the pleasure last week of attending the EU Open Days event in Brussels; four days where cities and regions present the latest on how they are investing EU monies to deliver on the EU 2020 objectives of Smart Sustainable and Inclusive Growth. It may be me but I felt that there was really […]
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