Digital City

By now we think we can safely say it is becoming an annual tradition. And so, we are happy to announce that for the third year running we are again organising our Green IT Week this November. It has also become clear that the term ‘week’ has proven to be a rather flexible term since this year’s edition is spanning from 7 – 30 November. Perhaps we should start calling it Green IT Weeks (or month), but that's something for later…

Green IT Week is dedicated to spotlight initiatives such as events, projects and good practices which help achieve sustainable targets and ambitions with ICT and technology in mind for individual organisations, government and society. Green IT is not just about making ICT itself more sustainable, but also about using these technologies to help address sustainability related societal challenges in general, such as the energy transition, mobility, smart cities and a circular economy.

Program:
- DCD Zettastructure – London (7 and 8 November)
- IT Room Infra – Den Bosch (14 November)
- ECP Jaarcongres – Den Haag (16 November)
- Design 4 Green – Worldwide 48 hour Design Challenge & Webinars (22 – 24 November)
- Amsterdam Economic Board – Circular Challenge #2 (23 November)
- EURECA at Datacenters Ireland and Datacentre World – Dublin, Paris and Franfurt (various dates)
- Green IT Amsterdam & NUON: GREEN IT LEADERS LIVE – Amsterdam (24 November)
- GreenIT + Amsterdam Smart City (30 November)

Green IT and Amsterdam Smart City join forces in the final event of the Green IT week:
On the 30th of November, we will host Smart Data, Smart City #6 on Smart Infrastructure.

Sign up here:
https://amsterdamsmartcity.com/events/smart-data-smart-city-6-smart-energy-infrastruc

Tada! Data. They are a promise for life in the city. With data we can tackle major problems of contemporary cities making them cleaner, safer, healthier, more habitable. With the use of data, it can be achieved. But, only as long as people maintain control over data, and not the other way around.

Designing a digital city is a team effort: companies, government, urban communities and citizens. We take action together, we benefit together. That is why we have set the following shared principles and agreements. We want to be a leading example in this for all other digital cities spread across the globe. Tada!

Join us in showing that we can make them wiser too by signing the manifesto at www.tada.city

Amsterdam aims to become leading example for responsible data usage

Data management is often subject of debate and is starting to raise more and more questions, e.g. regarding its ethical use, transparency, responsibility, ownership and controllability. Amsterdam as an innovator is aiming to fulfill a leading role in the world of data and technology. The Amsterdam Economic Board is requesting all of their partners that contribute to the digital city to sign the ‘Data Disclosed’ manifesto, and to announce and take concrete steps in the responsible handling of data.

Amsterdam itself will take the first step. By doing so, the innovative metropolis is trying to convey the message and take a leading role in this global campaign. Under the slogan ‘Tada’ – Data Disclosed’, the city is campaigning and, along with this, developing operational tools.

Franc Weerwind, mayor of Almere: “The Amsterdam story has been welcomed with open arms and followed by all participating parties. What appears to be especially appealing is the positive angle. Data is increasingly being associated with monitoring, control and suspicion, but we’ve turned it around. Transparency, accountability and ethics could be promising design-principles. Clarity about data could also be a major driving force for business and reputation.”

Amsterdam Economic Board — Manifest tada, duidelijk over data

Smart Stories

Check the article about Tada featured in our online magazine 'Smart Stories':

Citibeats is a start-up based in Barcelona and we have been awarded funding to launch a proof-of-concept (lasting one month) with a limited number of cities - at no cost to the city organisation.

Our software leverages AI and Big Data to promote a more responsive, transparent and inclusive governance; providing governments with accurate situational analysis and prioritisation of solutions in a city.

We have been recognised by the UN, European Commission and NTT Data for our work in this area (see the video below for more info): https://youtu.be/JlqFpgUIJMQ

Do you want to listen to your citizens’ voices?
Do you want to empower them to create actionable change that will improve the city?
At Citybeats, we are seeking launch partners to pioneer a new model for creating sustainable and engaging communities.

Visit <http://citibeats.net/> or contact <a>cquigley@thesocialcoin.</a>com for more info.

Social Coin: NTT Data Open Innovation Contest 2016 Winner

+ A single tweet from a student in Seoul reduced annual car trips by 2.3m +

It’s easy to feel alienated from the smart city conversation when all you hear about are hi-tech concepts like self-driving cars and artificial intelligence. But so far, the lessons learned from actually building a smart city have taught us that we have to start with the people first. Mistakes were made when cities bought into expensive technologies before working out what they were going to be used for. In Amsterdam, the citizens are providing not just the ideas, but the funding, talent and expertise to create the smart city solutions that are really needed.

Read more...

The more we spend on inefficient lighting systems, the less we can allocate to other essential city wide public services. New lighting technologies can change this trend in the long run! If you want read on some useful tips for energy efficiency and public lighting, check out this article.

Amsterdam is one of the top smart city in the world and is a perfect place to install progressive and promising technology. eluminocity has developed a high-quality design streetlight, comprising efficient LED lights, a charging point for electric vehicles and connected sensors to provide intelligent Smart City solutions.
We are looking for partners to develop and execute interesting smart city projects in the greater Amsterdam area. Together we can work on problems arising from advanced urbanization and create the future city.
We are looking forward to hear from you at sales@eluminocity.com

Four mailboxes in Amsterdam are equipped with sensors that measure both noise, temperature and air pressure. Providing access to real-time data for KNMI and RIVM.

The variety of smart city initiatives taking place in Amsterdam represents the multidimensional approach of developing the city into a high-tech arena. It is not just the government who is taking big leaps to mold the future of the city. An encouraging number of talented people from multidisciplinary fields of science and technology are volunteering in contributing towards the growth of the city in myriad ways.

Dear All,

I would like to invite you to our Smart Playground Installation in Gemeente Eindhoven on the Dutch Design Week (21-29 October)
There will be an installation of playground equipment which transforms the kinetic energy into light and Bluetooth control of a Mobile app, where the kids collect points according to the produced energy. Also a smart Street Fitness will show you how by working out on your Skywalk you could observe Augmented Reality in Google Street View.

Feel free to join us for a coffee on our Solar Lighting Benches :))
If you'd like to meet, drop me a line to alexandra@playgroundenergy.com

Tired of browsing online job boards all day long? What if you could have all the top tech companies in Amsterdam in one place, at the same time? Amsterdam Tech Job Fair 2017 is a chance for job seekers to talk to companies that are hiring in person. If you’ve had enough of submitting your CV online without the opportunity to make a lasting first impression, here’s your chance to change your strategy and do a bit of networking.

For Job Seekers

Meet recruiters from tech companies that are hiring in Amsterdam in person.
Ask all your questions and learn about what it’s actually like to work for the companies that you’re interested in.
Practice how to talk to recruiters, how to get your personality across to them and make a great first impression.
Forge new connections and grow your network of contacts.
Discover some amazing startups that are contributing to building Amsterdam’s future as a tech hub.

For Companies

Meet young graduates, interns and experienced professionals who are eager to work for tech companies.
Get your job postings promoted, exhibit and present at Amsterdam Tech Job Fair 2017.

At Impact Hub we believe that failure and experimentation are essential to developing innovative businesses that make real impact. So for our popular Fail Forward event we invited three successful entrepreneurs to share stories about their challenges, experiments, blunders and, of course, what they learned along the way. So get inspired by our speakers and learn how to follow your dreams and overcome your least successful experiences!

The Fail Forward line up:

Judith Joan Walker, Director of Operations at African Clean Energy

“Data should be big, lean, quantitative, qualitative, accurate, anonymous, impactful. The list goes on and on. As a social startup, you want to make sure you’re keeping up with tech trends, but data collection can be a challenge, especially from a distance, in a different culture, and without a budget. What could possibly go wrong?”

Gert van Vugt, Co-founder of Sustainer Homes

“How do you keep a critical view of your business proposition when you’ve received a huge amount of attention for your idea? You’re young, innovative and your startup is off to a great start. Your idea went viral and thousands seem interested. How stay grounded in the face of such overwhelming excitement?”

Wendelien Hebly, Co-founder of Yoni

“What would you do if you invested a lot of time and effort into your branding, only to be forced to change everything? We did that and, luckily, our story has a happy ending: you can find us on more than 1,400 shelves of Marqt, Etos and Albert Heijn stores the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as the Cactus supermarket chain in Luxembourg. Find out how we let go of our carefully built brand, started over and made it!”

The evening will be moderated by Ilse Kwaaitaal, our Scouting Lead and Business Model Challenge Manager.

Spectral and Alliander have launched a new blockchain-based energy sharing token at De Ceuvel in Amsterdam. Named the ‘Jouliette’, the new token aims to empower individuals and communities to easily manage and share their locally produced renewable energy.

To read the full article, please go here: https://spectral.energy/news/jouliette-at-deceuvel/

Full article: <https://spectral.energy/news/jouliette-at-deceuvel/>

A birds-eye view image of the De Ceuvel which consists of 16 office buildings, a greenhouse, a restaurant, and a bed and breakfast – all connected to a private, behind-the-meter smart-grid.

A screenshot of the real-time power-flow map of the De Ceuvel microgrid, which is one of the features of the Jouliette platform. The energy data of each building is visualized in real-time, with the green lines representing renewable energy feed-in, and red lines signifying that the building is consuming from the grid.

Smart Stories

Check the article about Jouliette featured in our online magazine 'Smart Stories':

I'm looking for 2 volunteers that want to gain experience and build their network in the space of Blockchain Technology and Food. A unique combination.

I need some hands to run and improve this recurring event: https://www.meetup.com/Blockchain-Food/events/241781586/

First meet-up is this Tuesday 3rd of October, starting at 17:00

If you're interested, give me a call on 06 13502191

Marieke

Hi people!

We are a group of students from Lund University (Sweden), studying our Master in Information Systems. In one of our courses, we are doing research about sustainable/smart cities in Europe and (of course) we selected Amsterdam!

We are looking for managers and entrepreneurs from both the private and public sector involved in initiatives or SME focusing on smart cities, technology, energy and sustainability. Any kind of area focusing on Smart cities.

We are interested in knowing how you got involved in the smart city projects, the products/services you are offering, we are also going to ask different agreement statements for further insights of your involvements.

The answers we’ll be gathering will be used for further research within the area of Smart Cities. The interviews however will be done through skype or by call and will take around 30 minutes to finish.

Perhaps you’re asking yourself “What’s in it for me?” Well, first and foremost you’ll be helping four students to complete their assignment and if you’re interested you can continue to be a part of the further research to come within the area since one of our professors is focusing on Smart City development and IT sustainability.

We would be very grateful if you took your time to answer our interview questions and we are looking forward to hear from you.

We would really appreciate any feedback

To get in touch with us, please contact me on waldau.fredrik@gmail.com

Best regards
Fredrik
Rexhep
Otto
Ruijing

Master Students at Lund University - Department of Informatics

This article pinpoints the amazing improvements green building design projects can achieve for you. From energy efficiency, waste management, increase in productivity and decrease of negative environmental impact, green design projects have taken the construction industry to a different level at the same time combining architecture, urban planning and design with smart engineering, technology and energy management. Adding smart solar street lighting in your green building project will substantially improve the key energy management and efficiency aspects.

AMSTERDAM AI Gatherings are quarterly, 2 hour events for Artificial Intelligence practitioners focusing on lessons learned applying AI. Each gathering consits of 3 elements enabling interactive sessions:

Discover: 15min talks of industry peers sharing insights and actionable advice based on hands-on experiences applying AI. Check out our next AMSTERDAM AI talks below!

Share: Clinic sessions for practitioners to share their specific challenge applying AI gathering initial feedback from industry peers and fellow practitioners. Apply to present your challenge through the registration form!

Connect: Peer-to-Peer sessions on Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Computer Vision to connect with new and leading practitioners in your technology realm. Join us next Wednesday to expand your applied AI network!

PROGRAM OF AMSTERDAM AI 5.0 Edition
I. Fernando Flores / CTO & Lead Data Scientisr at MeasureWorks
> Real-time Anomaly Detection for RUM data
To detect anomalies successfully an accurate forecast is required. We needed to select the suitable algorithm from a handful of choices. After a thorough evaluation we chose Taylor's model due to its adaptability, robustness and understandability.

II. Maarten c. Stol / Principal Scientific Advisor at BrainCreators
> Lessons learned in NLP: recognising text based on segmentation of conversational content.
The challenges on recognising topics' changes on live streams and how we solved it.

JOIN US
Merkspace (Herengracht 499, Amsterdam) on Wednesday 27 September, 6:30pm (doors open at 6pm)

TICKETS
Amsterdam AI is a community lead innitiative. Income through ticket sales is being used to improve the quality of our events and ensure great networking and learning experience for our young but energetic community. Buyers of our "Only the Champions" supporter tickets will be mentioned and officially thanked at the event!

We are not handing out free tickets. Everybody in the room is a contributor to the event and a part of amsterdam.ai community.

Last month, the World Economic Forum ranked Amsterdam 15th in a global benchmark regarding the innovativeness of cities. The research firm behind the publication, 2thinknow, assessed world cities on 10 factors related to technological advancement — including the number of patents filed per capita, startups, tech venture capitalists, ranking in other innovation datasets, and level of smartphone use — weighted them, and ranked a list of 85 cities accordingly.
The firm praised Amsterdam's combination of financial technology, energy efficiency, and startup culture, despite being much smaller than its neighbors. (Amsterdam has only a third of Berlin's population, for example.)

Surprised to see Amsterdam ranked 15th? Share your comments below!

De beste 5 pitchers maken kans op 28 september op de ConTech PropTech Pitch Award 2017. Deze award wordt uitgereikt door ING en Holland ConTech & PropTech.

http://www.hollandproptech.nl/pitch-award-2017/

+ The Startup Capital of Europe is a Hub for Tech and Innovation +

There are 1281 bridges in Amsterdam. This might seem like a fairly throwaway fact to most of us, but to the Amsterdam Smart City Initiative, it’s a huge leap forward. Because until this year, we didn’t know how many bridges there were.

With 32 district departments covering over 12,000 data sets you can start to see why. With no centralised hub for all the information they gather, the sharing of statistics was something busy government offices did not have the time or the resources to do.

Now Amsterdam has City Data, the fuel for its Smart City engine.

+ What Makes Amsterdam Different? +

Something that's really special about Amsterdam is that it has made its City Data open source. Everyone can access the information, and anyone can add further data sets to the collection. City Data is available online, (Dutch) and it is easy to search, download or link to your own system.

+ Big cities need to adapt +

50% of the world’s population currently live in cities. This figure is predicted to increase to 70% by 2050 - which will include an overall global population expansion of around 2 billion people during this period. In a city like Amsterdam, where much of the infrastructure is from the Reformation Era, adaptations must take place to ensure the capital’s roads, housing, services and quality of life improve. At the same time, cities must become more sustainable to avoid increases in air pollution and further contributing to climate change.

In April 2016, Amsterdam won Europe’s Capital of Innovation award. This year, the Netherlands jumped five places to rank 3rd in The Global Innovation Index 2017. And it’s showing no signs of slowing down.

+ A Brief History +

- Between 15-20% of the Netherlands has been reclaimed from the surrounding sea, lakes, marshes and swamps since the 1200’s.

- Only 50% of the country is more than 1 meter above sea level.

- 27% is below sea level, and this area contains a fifth of the population.

The City of Amsterdam is located 2 meters below sea level. As with all early civilisations, water gives life to a city. The ability to produce and transport goods has always been vital to the Netherlands’ survival. It is still the 8th biggest exporter in the world, a trade that makes up 82.5% of the country’s GDP.

The citizens have always been aware of how fragile the relationship with the water can be, and the Netherlands is accustomed to using technology to survive an ever-present risk of flooding. In the past, if you did not tend to your crops properly and maintain the irrigation system, dykes, levees and barriers, your neighbour's crops would suffer too. In many ways, this convention is still relevant now. These principles of respect, collaboration and community have carried through over the centuries, which is why the Amsterdam of today is still a model of shrewd infrastructure and innovation.

+ My Neighbour App (MijnBuur) +

An example of this framework is the ‘owner association’ law (Vereniging van Eigenaren) that covers every apartment in the Netherlands. Although individuals own their separate apartments, everyone in the building has to cooperate to maintain, clean and insure the structure as a whole. This is usually done via a monthly service charge and means you can request finances from the pot if, for example, your neighbour's shower were to leak and damage your ceiling.

The MijnBuur app builds on this neighbourly relationship. You are connected directly to your neighbours who can alert you to any dangers, something they need or anything they want to get done. The aim is to make citizens more socially responsible and solve disputes without involving the municipality. The project should save money while also improving community relationships - and shape future policy by providing the government with useful data about common issues between residents in the capital.

https://youtu.be/lzcgZOHZLGc

+ Tapping Into The Tech Culture +

- The Netherlands is the most densely populated country in Europe and one of the most in the world - with 4.88 people per km².

- This rises to 4439 people per km² in Amsterdam - which currently has a population of over 820,000.

Add to that 14 million tourists per year…

…and you can see why the government are keen to create as many opportunities for innovation as possible. Both the business sector and the Amsterdam government actively do their best to attract the top technology and innovation talent and keep it here through schemes like the International Talent Event, Startupbootcamp and Coding for Amsterdam.

Quite often the data produced by users of digital platforms has greater value than the service offered. By making Amsterdam’s city data open source, the economic value that usually reserved for corporations is given back to the citizens to reinvest in new and innovative solutions to the city’s problems.

And it’s not only free data. There is already a robust digital infrastructure and ICT ecosystem in Amsterdam. The Netherlands has the fastest internet in the EU. Support for startups is everywhere. Whether that be access to experienced Startup Exchanges, modern coworking spaces, world-famous accelerators and incubators or introductions to the many venture capitalists, angels and investors in the capital.

In 2016, startups in Amsterdam raised €194m, which was 76% of the total funding for startups in the whole of the Netherlands. Lumos Global, a provider of clean and affordable solar power, raised almost half of that. A reminder that sustainability and social entrepreneurship are still at the forefront of the city’s aspirations.
The Amsterdam Smart City Initiative (ASC)

Since its conception in 2009, the ASC has facilitated over 80 pilot projects aimed at making the city smarter. In one early programme, the Department of Research and Statistics went directly into individual government departments in the capital and access data directly.

Using statistics from insurance companies alongside information about the cost of treatment, they found that some areas with high levels of people with depression were not receiving proportionate levels of care. The city put further funds into an education programme aimed at those who were resisting treatment or did not want to acknowledge their disease - and increased the number receiving medical care.

+ Plastic Free Rivers +

This pilot highlights the importance of not only collecting information but also organising and sharing it. In a recent Makathon for plastic-free rivers, designers Anne Marieke Eveleens, Saskia Studer and Francis Zoet used principles shared by the oil and dredging industries to create ‘The Great Bubble Barrier’. The simple idea places a tube with holes at the bottom of a river. By pumping air through this, you create a ‘bubble barrier’ that stops plastic floating in the river and guides waste to the banks for collection.

For a city like Amsterdam, with a complex and open canal system, this is an invaluable innovation. The method is cheap and can be easily applied to other waterways across the world, providing a solution to the 8 million tons of plastic that are dumped into the ocean every year.

https://youtu.be/Nh5o2waLjGQ

Van Plestik has taken this solution one step further by gathering the waste plastic collected and transforming it into a building material for 3D printers. These printers can create high-quality and affordable plastic objects for a range of applications. Van Plestik is part of a scheme run by StartupAmsterdam called Startup in Residence.

+ StartupAmsterdam +

A 2015 collaboration between the City of Amsterdam and 250 stakeholders in the tech sector. The aim was to unify and amplify the startup system in Amsterdam and build an ecosystem.

The objective was to be a one stop shop for startups, connecting them to key players, mentors, investors, tech talent and launching customers. On their website, you can search job boards, find a co-working space, see an event calendar, read relevant news articles, check out university courses, join a network of communities including 80+ corporates and get support from liaison staff.

At Eli5 we have used the system to connect with smart city planners, test out our latest digital products, network with similar companies and find talent. We give back to the system by organising meetups and internships to share our methods and experiences with those just starting out in industry. For example, this year we wanted to beta-test our online proposal tool and quickly found freelancer groups who were willing to give us feedback. Then in exchange, we provided the software to them for free.

In just two years, the project has solidified Amsterdam’s status as the centre of the EU tech scene. In a very short time they have:

- Established a corporate network
- Created Launchpad Meetups to connect corporates and startups
- Initiated Amsterdam Capital Week to connect startups to capital
- Launched startup academies including BSSA (B.Startup School Amsterdam) and the Growth Tribe Academy
- Co-organised international startup bootcamps
- Introduced coding classes into school curriculums

+ Startup in Residence +

One of the initiatives supported by StartupAmsterdam is Startup in Residence, a governmental incubator.

Each year, the municipality evaluate the concerns of the people and create a set of social challenges for startups to solve using city data. By doing this, they tap into the huge startup culture in Amsterdam and the talented application, platform and software developers they employ.

With anywhere between 1500-2000 startups in Amsterdam at any one time, collaborating with creatives and developers speeds up the innovation process considerably. It also means that citizens can be directly involved in the future of their city.

If the solutions prove successful, the City of Amsterdam will invest in the company or become their launching customers. Working with the municipality presents a unique opportunity for a startup to access the support of city experts and their network. The scheme has backed almost all of the apps mentioned in this article.

The pilot scheme in 2015 produced five viable projects including an app that encourages residents to separate their waste and an app that helps to get visitors out of their hotels and accommodations and also spread tourists more evenly by providing information about Amsterdam’s lesser known attractions, called Wyzer.

+ Wyzer App by Wander +

What is so smart about the app is that it helps to keep people off the beaten path, while improving their experience of the city. The app connects to a compass rather than a map, so you are still heading in the right direction, but can explore different routes to get there. They call this ‘fuzzy navigation’. The app highlights ‘hidden gems’ for you to discover along the way. So when you get home, you have a more unique story to tell than the majority of tourists - and the locals are happy with reduced congestion.

The tech uses map, GPS and tourism data, then relies on a bit of community collaboration to suggest the best places to recommend to users.

https://youtu.be/LQVUHOvh_Jc

+ The Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS) +

AMS was conceived by Delft University, Wageningen University and MIT in response to a call for proposals from the city to develop metropolitan solutions to practical urban issues.

Launching an Institute means research and, more importantly, small-scale testing can be carried out. Relatively cheap applications and platforms can be made to validate ideas quickly and create viable real-time data and analytics.

AMS is part of a project to move on from the conventional forms of public data used by apps like Wyzer and research ways to produce large-scale, geosocial data. This is mined from sensors, GPS devices and mobile phones. However, this information is more human-oriented and also benefits from previously untapped forms of community information from social media, LoRa networks and open data portals.

In June 2016, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to have a nationwide LoRa network to facilitate the Internet of Things. Thus, it is the perfect Living Lab to test this new type of data.

+ Benefits of Big Urban Data +

One of the most ambitious projects at AMS is the Social Urban Data Lab. Researchers and developers are building state of the art technology for the “acquisition, enrichment, integration, analysis and visualisation of big urban data”.

If you can gather knowledge about the challenges and grievances in real-time and from a vast group of citizens, then urban planners and decision makers will be much better informed. Inevitably, this means the policy will serve the community more effectively and improve the quality of life.

+ Social Glass +

One of the outcomes from the Social Urban Data Lab is Social Glass. This web-based platform utilises real-time urban big data analytics and forecasting to create a “reflection of the human landscape”.

By analysing word meanings and the relationships between them with advanced lexical semantics and combining the results with machine learning, the team can determine the condition, mood, desires - almost any emotion - of the public.

When you begin to cross reference this with geolocation data and other open data from the municipality, you can start to establish patterns and map the mood of the city. So if a local event is disturbing residents, ambient social data can help to direct planners to the problem. Or if a long museum queue is annoying tourists the platform can send alerts telling others to avoid the attraction until it is less busy.

The science isn’t perfect. Social posts are diverse in character and content, lack structure and can be biased and ambiguous. It will take some time for the artificial intelligence to learn to recognise patterns and validate the data. But by further engaging citizens in the smart city initiative, Amsterdam has an advantage when it comes to the next step.

https://vimeo.com/120564204

+ The Future: Smart City 3.0 +

The first iteration of the Smart City was very technology focused. Large companies like IBM and Cisco were often criticised for having too much influence and pushing cities to adopt technology that they did not yet have the infrastructure in place to use properly.

Amsterdam’s Chief Technology Officer, Ger Baron, said in an interview with the MIT Sloan Management Review that “every company that comes here and tells us how it works, they’re wrong because they don’t have a clue how a city works...there is a big difference between how people think it works and how it works”. This became more apparent when he began the task of creating a city-wide data inventory and realised no one had a total, collated figure for the bridges in the capital. Those who had run the city for centuries didn’t understand it fully either. Part of Baron’s job is to ensure corporate interests do not overpower civic ones, which can quite often happen when a city rushes to get smarter.

Smart City 2.0 is characterised by being led by the city itself rather than the technology providers. This version focuses on improving the quality of life for residents and visitors and designs tools in consultation with citizens, to ensure solutions are specific to their needs. This is what Amsterdam has been doing with schemes like Startups in Residence, by setting challenges based entirely on the concerns of the people.

The next phase is citizen co-creation. Smart City 3.0 will still need to be enabled by both technology and by the city but will be led by the people and communities. Schemes like Repair Cafes or Tool Lending Libraries have already started in Amsterdam and are often run exclusively by the public, for the public. The app Verbeterdebuurt literally translates to ‘Improve The Neighbourhood’ and provides Amsterdammers with a convenient way to highlight problems and make suggestions for changes. It is GPS-enabled, and images can be uploaded to save time on lengthy descriptions.

Residents can detect the city’s requirements far quicker than administrators can. And by working collaboratively, they can often come up with the solutions faster too. If the government stops treating citizens as customers or only as recipients of a service and allow them to be co-creators of the city, Amsterdam will continue to get smarter. Just so long as it keeps building broadband, wireless and Internet of Things infrastructures. And, most importantly, City Data is maintained.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram @fetherico