#Data

Groeien?! Hoe doe je dat in de Metropoolregio Amsterdam, de drukste regio van Nederland? Hoe kunnen we ruimte geven aan meer woningen, terwijl de ruimte beperkt is? Hoe houden we de stad duurzaam bereikbaar én leefbaar, terwijl de verkeersstromen alleen maar toenemen in aantal en omvang? En ook: hoe zorgen we voor aansluiting tussen stad en platteland, terwijl de ov-opties hier steeds minder worden?

Om deze opgaven waar te kunnen maken, moeten we grenzen verleggen. Tijdens ons smart mobility congres op dinsdagmiddag 8 november zoeken we samen die grenzen op, en kijken we waar en hoe we deze kunnen verleggen. Met een afwisselend en interactief programma met inspirerende deelsessies zoeken we antwoord op de vragen: Waar wrikt en schuurt het? En waar liggen kansen voor slimme mobiliteitsoplossingen?

Ontmoet het MRA-netwerk

Dit congres ‘voor en door’ overheden, kennisinstellingen en de markt is dé plek om kennis op te halen en het smart mobility-netwerk te ontmoeten. Grensverleggend groeien kunnen we namelijk alleen samen, hand in hand met vernieuwende technologie, slimme organisatie en mobiliteitsoplossingen. Waarbij we met nieuwe ogen kijken naar onszelf, de processen en de opgaven die voor ons liggen. Jouw perspectief en expertise zijn daarbij van harte welkom!

Laat je inspireren door bevlogen sprekers

Ons congres wordt ingeluid door twee inspirerende en bevlogen sprekers. Zij benaderen smart mobility vanuit twee verschillende invalshoeken. Marja Ruigrok, bestuurslid Vervoerregio Amsterdam en wethouder gemeente Haarlemmermeer, vanuit de bestuurlijke kant en Bas Kodden, schrijver, spreker en onderzoeker, vanuit een meer menselijk perspectief. Dat belooft een vliegende start van het congres. De dagvoorzitter is Meindert Schut, journalist en radiopresentator bij BNR Nieuwsradio. Wacht dus niet langer en meld je aan!

Aanmelden

Wil je je aanmelden voor het MRA-congres smart mobility op dinsdagmiddag 8 november in het BIMHUIS in hartje Amsterdam? Ga dan naar onze congreswebsite. Hier vind je alle informatie over het thema Grensverleggend Groeien, het programma en de verschillende deelsessies.

We hopen je te zien tijdens ons smart mobility congres op 8 november!

Ons team wil uitbreiden! We hebben meerdere vacature mogelijkheden, van starter tot senior niveau. Neem een kijkje, tag of deel met je vrienden,... of download de details voor jezelf natuurlijk 😉

Our team is looking to expand! We have multiple opportunities from starter to senior levels. Have a look, tag or share with your friends,... or download the details for yourself of course 😉

On 2 & 3 June, EIT Urban Mobility is organizing a learning and networking event with inspiring mobility thought leaders at AMS Institute in Amsterdam. During the Mobility Solutions Cities' Showcase, urban mobility innovations from across Europe will be demonstrated.

EIT Urban Mobility has evaluated several applications from innovation-to-market projects and compiled a catalogue with Mobility Solutions from which some will be presented on June 2nd. Amongst others the projects SmartHubs (presentation by AMS Institute's innovation director Stephan van Dijk) and Code the Streets, in which Amsterdam and AMS Institute collaborate will have the stage. This will be followed by a keynote speech from Prof. Dr. Marco te Brommelstroet, co-author of Het Recht van de Snelste

June 3rd, on the United Nations World Bicycle Day, content-driven sessions on Active Mobility will take place with influential mobility thought leaders such as Melissa Bruntlett and Danny Nelissen, all moderated by Carlo van de Weijer

Do you want to join and learn more about our mobility solutions and content-driven sessions on active mobility? Register in the link attached! https://bit.ly/3xp2X4A

eHUBS are starting to play an important part in the development of sustainable and liveable cities. As the shift to more sustainable transport becomes increasingly urgent, we must develop services which provide a real last-mile alternatives to the private passenger car. This is where eHUBS come in. An eHUB is an on-street location where electric shared mobility services, from escooters, to ebikes and cargo bikes can be found and used. These mobility hubs have the potential to significantly change the future of urban mobility, creating accessible, affordable and centralised shared mobility services. In this conference, we share experiences and exchange ideas about the current use and future of eHUBS.

The conference will explore the role of eHUBS, the lessons learned from cities pioneering them and opportunities for the future found by universities. Across two days, we hear from local authorities, universities, and mobility experts, sharing knowledge and inspiring their peers.

Several European cities are already experimenting with eHUBS, piloting the concept to create cleaner, sustainable and livable cities. This eHUBs conference is a result from the eHUBS project, which is funded by the Interreg NWE Programme, with six partner cities from five countries implementing the shared mobility concept, paving the way for others to do the same.

Free admission

Nederland staat voor enorme opgaven. Opgaven die niet alleen maar op te lossen zijn op traditionele manieren. Die vragen om nieuwe manieren van werken met digitalisering en de inzet van data. Maar hoe pak je dat aan? Hoe werkt dat in de praktijk? Hoe pas je nieuwe technologie toe in het ontwikkelen van steden en dorpen?

Om die vraag te beantwoorden organiseren Kennislab voor Urbanisme en de Future City Foundation in opdracht van de gemeente ‘s-Hertogenbosch en de provincie Noord-Brabant in het kader van de Data Week NL een Summerschool ‘Maak je eigen slimme stad’ in samenwerking met de City Deal ‘Een slimme stad, zo doe je dat‘ en de City Deal ‘Slim Maatwerk’.

Meld je nu aan en bedenk samen met 24 andere jongprofessionals hoe je data en digitalisering inzet om de problemen van vandaag op te lossen voor de wereld van morgen.

Ben je zelf geen jongprofessional meer, maar ken je iemand in je netwerk? Stuur deze Summerschool dan aan hem/haar door. 

Waar gaat het over?

Nederland staat voor grote uitdagingen. De klimaatverandering, de woningnood, en een krappe arbeidsmarkt. Voor steeds meer Nederlanders is het niet vanzelfsprekend om op een gezonde manier in de gewenste thuisomgeving te wonen. Omdat ze te maken hebben met een kluwen van sociale problemen, gezondheidsproblemen of kansenongelijkheid. Dat leidt tot een groeiende kloof in de samenleving.

Dit zijn grote opgaven die uiteindelijk moeten worden opgelost door provincies als Noord-Brabant en gemeenten als ’s-Hertogenbosch. Data, digitalisering en technologisering bieden mogelijke oplossingen, maar hoe benut je deze kansen op de goede manier? En hoe zorg je ervoor dat het niet blijft bij een idee, maar dat concrete oplossingen daadwerkelijk iets gaan veranderen in een wijk of stadsdeel?

Tijdens deze summerschool dagen we jou uit om hierover na te denken. Je gaat 3 dagen lang in multidisciplinaire teams aan de slag met de vraag: Hoe kunnen data, technologisering en digitalisering bijdragen aan een sterke economie, leefbaarheid en gelijke kansen voor iedereen in de Provincie Noord-Brabant? En hoe pak je dat concreet aan in de Omgeving Station Oost in ‘s-Hertogenbosch?

Met wie

Het Kennislab voor Urbanisme en de Future City Foundation organiseren deze summerschool in opdracht van de Provincie Noord-Brabant en de gemeente ’s-Hertogenbosch in het kader van de Dataweek NL en in samenwerking met de City Deal ‘Een slimme stad, zo doe je dat’ en de City Deal ‘Slim Maatwerk’.

Premium Partners van de Future City Foundation zijn: gemeente Amersfoort, Civity, DHM Infra, ELBA\REC, Kennedy Van der Laan, gemeente Sittard-Geleen, Waterschap Vallei en Veluwe, VodafoneZiggo, We City en gemeente Zwolle.

Founding partners van de Data Week NL zijn: gemeente ‘s-Hertogenbosch, JADS, provincie Noord-Brabant, Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties.

Waarom meedoen

• Je leert over digitalisering en technologisering en hoe je dat kunt toepassen in de stad van de toekomst. Je leert het direct uit de praktijk en van de mensen die er dagelijks meer werken. Kennis die je in je opleiding niet krijgt;
• Je ontwikkelt je professionele en persoonlijke skills;
• Je maakt kennis met de Provincie en gemeente als organisatie en ontmoet een heel interessant netwerk van bedrijven en stakeholders. Als je een interessante baan of stage zoekt is dit een heel interessant netwerk
• Maak kennis met de 75 verschillende partners van de betrokken City Deals
• Je bent graag met inhoudelijke en vernieuwende onderwerpen;
• Je vind het fijn om nieuwe interessante mensen te leren kennen;
• En drie dagen plezier met hen te hebben.

MELD JE NU AAN

Meer weten?

Klik hier voor meer informatie over het programma en de deelname.

Op bepaalde plekken in de Metropoolregio Amsterdam (MRA) kan het behoorlijk druk zijn. Denk aan toeristische trekpleisters, het strand en recreatie- en winkelgebieden. Als teveel mensen op hetzelfde moment naar dezelfde plek gaan, heeft dat een negatief effect op de bereikbaarheid, leefbaarheid en veiligheid. Dat moet anders, dachten de partners van het MRA-platform Smart Mobility.

De provincies Noord-Holland en Flevoland, Gemeente Amsterdam en Vervoerregio Amsterdam werkten het afgelopen jaar samen met marktpartijen in het project ‘Scale Up | Bezoekersstromen<b>’</b>. De inzet: innovatieve oplossingen om bezoekersstromen te voorspellen en met gerichte acties te spreiden in tijd, route en vervoersmiddel. En dat is gelukt! Sterker nog: de innovaties zijn zo goed dat alle gemeenten binnen de MRA de oplossingen bij de marktpartijen kunnen inkopen en inzetten.

De oplossingen zijn getest op het strand van Zandvoort, in de Kalverstraat in Amsterdam en tijdens Koningsdag in Amsterdam. Deze testlocaties hebben genoeg informatie opgeleverd om de oplossingen in de hele regio in te kunnen zetten. De resultaten, successen en lessen van deze tests bespreken we op 19 mei tijdens een nieuwe #SmartThursday.

#SmartThursday

Op donderdag 19 mei van 16.00 tot 17.00 presenteren we de resultaten van het project ‘Scale Up | Bezoekersstromen’ tijdens een digitale bijeenkomst. Wil je meer weten over de sessie en sprekers? Of wil je je direct aanmelden? Ga dan naar deze pagina!

500+ cycling infrastructure documents from all over the world, and growing. Cycling infrastructure design manuals, strategy guides and more all curated in one easy-to-use database.

Would you like to take part in a Virtual Reality experiment? Then we are looking for you!

What is it? An indoor experiment about using Virtual Reality (VR) to study pedestrian crossing behaviour. Virtual Reality can be a powerful tool in the future to experiment with new settings and implementations before putting them into practice. Are you interested? Register or get in touch with us.

When? From 11 April until 6 May for the duration of 60-90 minutes per participant

Where? AMS Institute, Marineterrein Amsterdam, Kattenburgerstraat 5

Who? Everyone is welcome! We are looking for participants who want to join and help us make it a success! Each participant will receive a €10,- gift voucher

Register now! Here

Thanks

On Thursday, March 17 Grisha Zotov pitched some of the dilemmas his team encountered during the process of urban design. Among others, he touched upon densification and building height as aspects that influence intensity of human interaction.

Located in the former industrial zone, Schinkelkwartier is an example of inclusive and interdisciplinary redevelopment. Destined to be a diverse mix-use hub, Schinkelkwartier will develop in several phases during 25 years. At an early stage local stakeholders and neighbors of the area were involved.

On behalf of Architectural Prescription Grisha raised questions about opportunities and risks offered by water-related location and complexity due to the amount of interested parties.

Suggestions, ideas and feedback are always welcome.

Local or guest, reach out and share what you think!

In this DemoDonderdag edition, we invite you to help us with steering 20 graduation research projects into valuable AI solutions for Amsterdam!

Program:
15:45 - Doors open
16:00 - Short Introduction
16:10 - Interactive Poster Session
17:00 - Networking & Snacks

Every year, we give master's students from the field of AI and Data Science the opportunity to conduct their graduation research on real-life problems together with the City of Amsterdam.

This year, we collaborate with 20 students from the University of Amsterdam, the Vrije Universiteit, and the University of Twente, on topics such as measuring the accessibility of our city, creating a healthier, greener, and cleaner environment, optimizing the maintenance of public assets and infrastructure, as well as improving internal processes such as document management.

During this event, the students will present their research directions and current findings, as well as their plans for the remainder of their theses. In a poster session setup, everyone would be able to explore the different projects, enjoy short demonstrations, and have an open discussion about their favorite topics.

What we would need from you is an open mind, constructive feedback, and fresh ideas, so that together we could help all projects crystallize, and eventually, turn them into valuable AI solutions for our city.

Last but not least, this would be a moment for all of us to reconnect and meet each other in a fully physical event.

Volgende week donderdag 17 maart vindt de tweede editie van Demodag #15 plaats. De thema’s Digitaal en Mobiliteit staan centraal, en het programma is inmiddels rond. Naast een paar mooie initiatieven en complexe vraagstukken, wordt er dit keer ook een korte webinar gegeven door de Hogeschool van Amsterdam en de Johan Cruijff ArenA. Deze introductie van datamanagement geeft een goede theoretische basis voor een van de daaropvolgende werksessie.

De Demodagen zijn onderdeel van ons innovatieproces en bedoeld om de voortgang van verschillende innovatieprojecten te stimuleren, hulpvragen op tafel te leggen, dilemma's te delen en anderen te betrekken bij projecten of uitdagingen. Meer informatie over wat de Demodagen precies zijn en waarom je mee wilt doen, vind je hier.

Klinkt het programma interessant? Je bent meer dan welkom om aan te sluiten. Laat het ons weten in de comments of mail naar trisha@amsterdamsmartcity.com!

Pitches:
Amaze Mobility - Amaze Mobility
Amaze is een gedreven startup, die nauw samenwerkt met deelmobiliteit-aanbieders om het doolhof van gedeelde en duurzame mobiliteit te ontrafelen. Ondersteund door een consortium van experts uit de industrie, won Amaze een openbare aanbesteding in Amsterdam. Afgelopen jaren heeft Amaze met een ervaren team van 11 man geïnvesteerd in het ontwerpen en bouwen van een platform en app. Met deze app kunnen gebruikers kiezen hoe ze willen reizen op het moment dat zij dat nodig hebben.

Schinkelkwartier - Architectural Prescription
[PITCH IN ENGLlSH] Based on the example of Schinkelkwartier (The best masterplan in the Netherlands in 2021) the head of Architectural Prescription will deconstruct dilemmas of urban design using parametric analytics and computational tools. Feedback from the community on the digital approach to optimize urban fabric is very welcome.

Webinar:
Datamanagement in de praktijk - Hogeschool van Amsterdam / Johan Cruijff ArenA
Een introductie rondom datamanagement met praktische tips om verantwoord om te gaan met data. Waar moet je op letten als je met data werkt, het ontsluit, verzamelt en bewaart? Wat dien je te regelen om op een juiste manier om te gaan met eigenaarschap en autorisatie van toegang?

Werksessies:
Het eigenaarschap en de verantwoordelijkheid van data - Provincie Noord Holland.
Hoe gaan onze overheden om met hun eigen data en data van derden? Welke afspraken maak je over de kwaliteit? Wat ligt bij de business en hoe creëer je bewustzijn? In deze werksessie gaat Provincie Noord-Holland verder in op de uitdagingen op het gebied van data eigenaarschap en verantwoordelijkheid.

Het slimme laadplein - SlimLaden
Vorig jaar is het laadplein met batterijen verstopt in straatmeubilair en slimme, dynamische laadzuilen in Hoofddorp in gebruik genomen. Dit zogenoemde Laadplein-2-Grid is de eerste in zijn soort in Nederland. Maar gaat het aantal EV-rijders in de komende jaren zo toenemen, dat het dynamisch parkeersysteem overbodig gaat zijn? Hoe ziet parkeren er in de toekomst überhaupt uit? Waar moet de focus liggen als je dit concept wilt opschalen?

Steden worden weer zichtbaar drukker. Hoe zorgen we ervoor dat we in deze tijd relevante data verzamelen om de juiste afwegingen te maken?

Gemeente Amsterdam neemt jullie graag mee in de laatste ontwikkelingen van hoe data nu worden ingezet. En welke slimme connecties zij onderling hebben gevonden, ten behoeve van drukte monitoring en management in de openbare ruimte. Leer hoe het crowd monitoring project niet alleen wordt ingezet voor een leefbare stad, maar hoe ook een nieuwe manier van werken wordt neergezet waarbij innovatie en implementatie samenkomen. We gaan graag met jullie in gesprek over de toekomst.

Locatie: Pakhuis de Zwijger (Piet Heinkade 179, Amsterdam)

Interesse in deze bijeenkomst? Stuur dan een e-mail aan Dhr. D. Groenink, d.groenink@amsterdam.nl voor een persoonlijke uitnodiging.

Er zijn een beperkt aantal plaatsen beschikbaar.

In the 12th and 13th episode of the series Better cities: The contribution of digital technology, I will use the ethical principles from the 9th episode to assess several applications of digital technology. This episode discusses: (1) Internet of Things, (2) robotics and (3) biometrics. Next week I will continue with (4) Immersive technology (augmented and virtual reality), (5) blockchain and (6) platforms.

These techniques establish reciprocal connections (cybernetic loops) between the physical and the digital world. I will describe each of them briefly, followed by comments on their ethical aspects: privacy, autonomy, security, control, human dignity, justice, and power relations, insofar relevant. The book Opwaarderen: Borgen van publieke waarden in de digitale samenleving. Rathenau Instituut 2017 proved to be valuable for this purpose. Rathenau Institute 2017.

1. Internet-of-Things

The Internet-of-Things connects objects via sensors with devices that process this data (remotely). The pedometer on the smartphone is an example of data collection on people. In time, data about everyone's health might be collected and evaluated at distance. For the time being, this mainly concerns data of objects. A well-known example is the 'smart meter'. More and more household equipment is connected to the Internet and transmits data about their use. For a long time, Samsung smart televisions had a built-in television camera and microphone with which the behavior of the viewers could be observed. Digital roommates such as Alexa and Siri are also technically able to pass on everything that is said in their environment to their bosses.

Machines, but also trains and trucks are full of sensors to monitor their functioning. Traffic is tracked with sensors of all kinds which measure among many others the quantity of exhaust gases and particulate matter. In many places in the world, people are be monitored with hundreds of thousands CCTV’s. A simple signature from American owners of a Ring doorbell is enough to pass on to the police the countenance of those who come to the front door. Orwell couldn't have imagined.

Privacy
Internet of Things makes it possible to always track every person, inside and outside the home. When it comes to collecting data in-house, the biggest problem is obscurity and lack of transparency. Digital home-law can be a solution, meaning that no device collects data unless explicit permission is given. A better solution is for manufacturers to think about why they want to collect all this data at all.
Once someone leaves the house, things get trickier. In many Dutch cities 'tracking' of mobile phones has been banned, but elsewhere a range of means is available to register everyone's (purchasing) behavior. Fortunately, legislation on this point in Europe is becoming increasingly strict.

Autonomy
The goal of constant addition of more 'gadges' to devices and selling them as 'smart' is to entice people to buy them, even if previous versions are far from worn out. Sailing is surrounded by all of persuasive techniques that affect people's free will. Facebook very deftly influences our moods through the selection of its newsfeeds. Media, advertisers, and companies should consider the desirability of taking a few steps back in this regard. For the sake of people and the environment.

Safety
Sensors in home appliances use to be poorly secured and give cybercriminals easy access to other devices. For those who want to control their devices centrally and want them to communicate with each other’s too, a closed network - a form of 'edge computing' - is a solution. Owners can then decide for themselves which data may be 'exposed', for example for alarms or for balancing the electricity network. I will come back to that in a later episode.

Control
People who, for example, control the lighting of their home via an app, are already experiencing problems when the phone battery is empty. Experience also shows that setting up a wireless system is not easy and that unwanted interferences often occur. Simply changing a lamp is no longer sufficient to solve this kinds of problems. For many people, control over their own home slips out of their hands.

Power relations
The digital component of many devices and in particular the dependence on well-configured software makes people increasingly dependent on suppliers, who at the same time are less and less able to meet the associated demand for service and support.

2. Robotics

Robotics is making its appearance at great speed. In almost every heart surgery, robotics is used to make the surgeon's movements more precise, and some operations are performed (almost) completely automatically. Robots are increasingly being used in healthcare, to support or replace healthcare providers. Also think of robots that can observe 3D and crawl through the sewage system. They help to solve or prevent leakages, or they take samples to detect sources of contamination. Leeds aims to be the first 'self-repairing city' by 2035. ‘Self-driving' cars and metro trains are other examples. Most warehouses and factories are full of robots. They are also making their appearance in households, such as vacuum cleaners or lawnmowers. Robots transmit large amounts of information and are therefore essential parts of the Internet of Things.

Privacy
Robots are often at odds with privacy 'by design'. This applies definitely to robots in healthcare. Still, such devices are valuable if patients and/or their relatives are sufficiently aware of their impact. Transparency is essential as well as trust that these devices only collect and transmit data for the purpose for which they are intended.

Autonomy
Many people find 'reversing parking' a problem and prefer to leave that to robotics. They thereby give up part of their autonomous driver skills, as the ability to park in reverse is required in various other situations. This is even more true for skills that 'self-driving' cars take over from people. Drivers will increasingly find themselves in situations where they are powerless.
At the same time, robotics is a solution in situations in which people abuse their right to self-determination, for example by speeding, the biggest causes of (fatal) accidents. A mandatory speed limiter saves untold suffering, but the 'king of the road' will not cheer for it.

Safety
Leaving operations to robots presupposes that safety is guaranteed. This will not be a problem with robotic lawnmowers, but it is with 'self-driving cars'. Added to this is the risk of hacking into software-driven devices.

Human dignity
Robots can take over boring, 'mind-numbing' dangerous and dirty work, but also work that requires a high degree of precision. Think of manufacturing of computer chips. The biggest problems lie in the potential for job takeovers, which not only has implications for employment, but can also seriously affect quality. In healthcare, people can start to feel 'reified' due to the loss of human contact. For many, daily contact with a care worker is an important instrument against loneliness.

3. Biometrics

Biometrics encompasses all techniques to identify people by body characteristics: iris, fingerprint, voice, heart rhythm, writing style and emotion. Much is expected of their combination, which is already applied in the passport. There is no escaping security in this world, so biometrics can be a good means of combating identity fraud, especially if different body characteristics are used.
In the US, the application of facial recognition is growing rapidly. In airports, people can often choose to open the security gate 'automatically’ or to stand in line for security. Incode, a San Francisco startup, reports that its digital identity recognition equipment has already been used in 140 million cases by 2021, four times as many as in all previous years combined.

Privacy
In the EU, the privacy of residents is well regulated by law. The use of data is also laid down in law. Nevertheless, everyone's personal data is stored in countless places.
Facial recognition is provoking a lot of resistance and is increasingly being banned in the public space in the US. This applies to the Netherlands as well.
Biometric technology can also protect privacy by minimization of the information: collected. For example, someone can gain access based on an iris scan, while the computer only checks whether the person concerned has authorization, without registering name.
Cyber criminals are becoming more and more adept at getting hold of personal information. Smaller organizations and sports clubs are especially targeted because of their poor security. If it is also possible to obtain documents such as an identity card, then identity fraud is lurking.

Safety
Combining different identification techniques as happens in passports, contributes to the rightful establishing someone's identity. This also makes counterfeiting of identity documents more difficult. Other less secured documents, for example driver's licenses and debit cards, can still be counterfeited or (temporarily) used after they have been stolen, making identity theft relatively easy.

Human dignity
The opposition to facial recognition isn't just about its obvious flaws; the technology will undoubtedly improve in the coming years. Much of the danger lies in the underlying software, in which bias is difficult to eliminate.
When it comes to human dignity, there is also a positive side to biometrics. Worldwide, billions of people are unable to prove who they are. India's Aadhar program is estimated to have provided an accepted form of digital identity based on biometrics to 1.1 billion people. The effect is that financial inclusion of women has increased significantly.

Justice
In many situations where biometric identification has been applied, the problem of reversed burden of proof arises. If there is a mistaken identity, the victim must prove that he is not the person the police suspect is.

To be continued next week.

The link below opens an overview of all published and future articles in this series. https://www.dropbox.com/s/vnp7b75c1segi4h/Voorlopig%20overzicht%20van%20materialen.docx?dl=0

In the 11th episode of the series Better cities: The contribution of digital technology, I will apply the ethical principles from episode 9 to the design and use of artificial intelligence.

Before, I will briefly summarize the main features of artificial intelligence, such as big data, algorithms, deep-learning, and machine learning. For those who want to know more: Radical technologies by Adam Greenfield (2017) is a very readable introduction, also regarding technologies such as blockchain, augmented and virtual reality, Internet of Things, and robotics, which will be discussed in next episodes.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence has valuable applications but also gross forms of abuse. Valuable, for example, is the use of artificial intelligence in the layout of houses and neighborhoods, taking into account ease of use, views and sunlight with AI technology from Spacemaker or measuring the noise in the center of Genk using Nokia's Scene Analytics technology. It is reprehensible how the police in the US discriminate against population groups with programs such as PredPol and how the Dutch government has dealt in the so called ‘toelagenaffaire’.

Algorithms
Thanks to artificial intelligence, a computer can independently recognize patterns. Recognizing patterns as such is nothing new. This has long been possible with computer programs written for that purpose. For example, to distinguish images of dogs and cats, a programmer created an "if....then" description of all relevant characteristics of dogs and cats that enabled a computer to distinguish between pictures of the two animal species. The number of errors depended on the level of detail of the program. When it comes to more types of animals and animals that have been photographed from different angles, making such a program is very complicated. In that case, a computer can be trained to distinguish relevant patterns itself. In this case we speak of artificial intelligence. People still play an important role in this. This role consists in the first place in writing an instruction - an algorithm - and then in the composition of a training set, a selection of a large number of examples, for example of animals that are labeled as dog or cat and if necessary lion tiger and more . The computer then searches 'itself' for associated characteristics. If there are still too many errors, new images will be added.

Deep learning
The way in which the animals are depicted can vary endlessly, whereby it is no longer about their characteristics, but about shadow effect, movement, position of the camera or the nature of the movement, in the case of moving images. The biggest challenge is to teach the computer to take these contextual characteristics into account as well. This is done through the imitation of the neural networks. Image recognition takes place just like in our brains thanks to distinguishing layers, varying from distinguishing simple lines, patterns, and colors to differences in sharpness. Because of this layering, we speak of 'deep learning'. This obviously involves large data sets and a lot of computing power, but it is also a labor-intensive process.

Unsupervised learning
Learning how to apply algorithms under supervision produces reliable results and the instructor can still explain the result after many iterations. As the situation becomes more complicated and different processes are proceeding at the same time, guided instruction is not feasible any longer. For example, if animals attack each other, surviving or not, and the computer must predict which kind of animals have the best chance of survival under which conditions. Also think of the patterns that the computer of a car must be able to distinguish to be able to drive safely on of the almost unlimited variation, supervised learning no longer works.

In the case of unsupervised learning, the computer is fed with data from many millions of realistic situations, in the case of cars recordings of traffic situations and the way the drivers reacted to them. Here we can rightly speak of 'big data' and 'machine learning', although these terms are often used more broadly. For example, the car's computer 'learns' how and when it must stay within the lanes, can pass, how pedestrians, bicycles or other 'objects' can be avoided, what traffic signs mean and what the corresponding action is. Tesla’s still pass all this data on to a data center, which distills patterns from it that regularly update the 'autopilots' of the whole fleet. In the long run, every Tesla, anywhere in the world, should recognize every imaginable pattern, respond correctly and thus guarantee the highest possible level of safety. This is apparently not the case yet and Tesla's 'autopilot' may therefore not be used without the presence of a driver 'in control'. Nobody knows by what criteria a Tesla's algorithms work.

Unsupervised learning is also applied when it comes to the prediction of (tax) fraud, the chance that certain people will 'make a mistake' or in which places the risk of a crime is greatest at a certain moment. But also, in the assessment of applicants and the allocation of housing. For all these purposes, the value of artificial intelligence is overestimated. Here too, the 'decisions' that a computer make are a 'black box'. Partly for this reason, it is difficult, if not impossible, to trace and correct any errors afterwards. This is one of the problems with the infamous ‘toelagenaffaire’.

The cybernetic loop
Algorithmic decision-making is part of a new digital wave, characterized by a 'cybernetic loop' of measuring (collecting data), profiling (analyzing data) and intervening (applying data). These aspects are also reflected in every decision-making process, but the parties involved, politicians and representatives of the people make conscious choices step by step, while the entire process is now partly a black box.

The role of ethical principles

Meanwhile, concerns are growing about ignoring ethical principles using artificial intelligence. This applies to near all principles that are discussed in the 9th episode: violation of privacy, discrimination, lack of transparency and abuse of power resulting in great (partly unintentional) suffering, risks to the security of critical infrastructure, the erosion of human intelligence and undermining of trust in society. It is therefore necessary to formulate guidelines that align the application of artificial intelligence again with these ethical principles.

An interesting impetus to this end is given in the publication of the Institute of Electric and Electronic Engineers: Ethically Aligned Design: A Vision for Prioritizing Human Well-being with Autonomous and Intelligent Systems. The Rathenau Institute has also published several guidelines in various publications.

The main guidelines that can be distilled from these and other publications are:

1. Placing responsibility for the impact of the use of artificial intelligence on both those who make decisions about its application (political, organizational, or corporate leadership) and the developers. This responsibility concerns the systems used as well as the quality, accuracy, completeness, and representativeness of the data.

2. Prevent designers from (unknowingly) using their own standards when instructing learning processes. Teams with a diversity of backgrounds are a good way to prevent this.

3. To be able to trace back 'decisions' by computer systems to the algorithms used, to understand their operation and to be able to explain them.

4. To be able to scientifically substantiate the model that underlies the algorithm and the choice of data.

5. Manually verifying 'decisions' that have a negative impact on the data subject.

6. Excluding all forms of bias in the content of datasets, the application of algorithms and the handling of outcomes.

7. Accountability for the legal basis of the combination of datasets.

8. Determine whether the calculation aims to minimize false positives or false negatives.

9. Personal feedback to clients in case of lack of clarity in computerized ‘decisions’.

10. Applying the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity, which means determining on a case-by-case basis whether the benefits of using artificial intelligence outweigh the risks.

11. Prohibiting applications of artificial intelligence that pose a high risk of violating ethical principles, such as facial recognition, persuasive techniques and deep-fake techniques.

12. Revocation of legal provisions if it appears that they cannot be enforced in a transparent manner due to their complexity or vagueness.

The third, fourth and fifth directives must be seen in conjunction. I explain why below.

The scientific by-pass of algorithmic decision making

When using machine learning, computers themselves adapt and extend the algorithms and combine data from different data sets. As a result, the final ‘decisions’ made by the computer cannot be explained. This is only acceptable after it has been proven that these decisions are 'flawless', for example because, in the case of 'self-driving' cars, if they turn out to be many times safer than ordinary cars, which - by the way - is not the case yet.

Unfortunately, this was not the case too in the ‘toelagenaffaire’. The fourth guideline could have provided a solution. Scientific design-oriented research can be used to reconstruct the steps of a decision-making process to determine who is entitled to receive an allowance. By applying this decision tree to a sufficiently large sample of cases, the (degree of) correctness of the computer's 'decisions' can be verified. If this is indeed the case, then the criteria used in the manual calculation may be used to explain the processes in the computer's 'black box'. If there are too many deviations, then the computer calculation must be rejected at all.

Governance

In the US, the use of algorithms in the public sector has come in a bad light, especially because of the facial recognition practices that will be discussed in the next episode. The city of New York has therefore appointed an algorithm manager, who investigates whether the algorithms used comply with ethical and legal rules. KPMG has a supervisory role in Amsterdam. In other municipalities, we see that role more and more often fulfilled by an ethics committee.

In the European public domain, steps have already been taken to combat excesses of algorithmic decision-making. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which came into effect in 2018, has significantly improved privacy protection. In April 2019, the European High Level Expert Group on AI published ethical guidelines for the application of artificial intelligence. In February 2020, the European Commission also established such guidelines, including in the White Paper on Artificial Intelligence and an AI regulation. The government also adopted the national digitization strategy, the Strategic Action Plan for AI and the policy letter on AI, human rights, and public values.

I realize that binding governments and their executive bodies to ethical principles is grist to the mill for those who flout those principles. Therefore, the search for the legitimate use of artificial intelligence to detect crime, violations or abuse of subsidies and many other applications continues to deserve broad support.

Follow the link below to find one of the previous episodes or see which episodes are next, and this one for the Dutch version.

As in the rest of the Netherlands, the number of electric cars (EVs) at Schiphol will only increase in the coming years. Whereas Royal Schiphol Group currently has 400 EV charge points, we expect to grow rapidly towards 10,000 charge points over the next few years. We cannot achieve this growth alone. That is why we are looking for a partner who can help us manage this growth with smart technology. Can you help us? Check the link below to the tender on Negometrix

Over the past 1.5 years, CityFlows partners have worked on improving liveability of crowded pedestrian spaces by developing and testing the use of a Crowd Monitoring Decision Support Systems (CM-DSS) in different settings.

As the project nears competition, this final online workshop will share and validate the results and lessons learned from living labs in Amsterdam, Barcelona and Milan. The workshop will also present a selection of international best practices for crowd-management collected through the CityFlows Educational Package open call.

Draft Agenda -- Speakers will be announced soon!
•           Welcome & introductions
•           Overview to CityFlows project
•           Short keynote on responsible crowd-management innovations
•           Presentation of results and lessons learned from CityFlows Living Labs
•           Q&A with audience
•           Final reflections & wrap-up

Crowd-management researchers and practitioners are encouraged to join the event and reflect on the findings from the project.

To join this webinar, please register in advance via:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvd-qgrzIiG9P2pmV46PUhxFjOUi7HR-DK

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

For more information about the CityFlows project visit: https://cityflows-project.eu/

The EIT-KIC project CityFlows aims to improve the liveability of crowded pedestrian spaces through the use of Crowd Monitoring Decision Support Systems (CM-DSS) to manage pedestrian flows.  Amsterdam, Milan and Barcelona are the three CityFlows project test sites  where various innovative crowd monitoring techniques will be evaluated in real-life settings.  These tests will take place where large crowds meet, such as mass events, tourist spaces and transfer hubs.  The CityFlows project also prepares a CM-DSS for market launch which incorporates state-of-the-art monitoring techniques.

One of the goals of the CityFlows project is to build a community of crowd-management researchers and practitioners which supports knowledge sharing between the various stakeholders. To this end, in 2020 we hosted a webinar series focused on knowledge sharing.

Now, we are putting out an open call for crowd-management best practices and are looking to collect international best practices.

Do you have a crowd-management solution or project which you would like to showcase to peers, policy makers and the public?

We invite all stakeholders, including public authorities, companies, start-ups, and knowledge institutions to share their crowd-management innovations and lessons learned.

A selection of the cases will be featured in a “Best Practices for Crowd-management” digital showcase.

Submitting your crowd-management solution / project is possible via this short form by providing answers to the following questions:

1. What crowd-management technologies were deployed in the project?
2. How did you turn data into actionable information? What key insights were gained from the project and how did this help improve managing crowds?
3. How did you deal with privacy and other ethical challenges in your project?
4. What were the main challenges encountered and how did you overcome them?
5. What are the most important transferable lessons learned (positive or negative) from the project? What can other cities / stakeholders learn from this experience?

Deadline
Please complete submission by 18:00 on Friday, December 10th.

More information
For questions and more information about this call for solutions please contact:

• Cornelia Dinca via cornelia.dinca@ams-institute.org
• Dorine Duives via D.C.Duives@tudelft.nl

Helsinki and Amsterdam are inviting motorists to take part in a study that aims to offer the most socially responsible driving routes in each city.

Code the Streets – an EU-sponsored mobility initiative which will run throughout October and November – asks drivers to test new functions in the traffic navigation app TomTomAmiGO and Mercedes-Benz’ navigation planner, to better understand how to route motorists in a more environmentally aware way.

This includes suggestions on avoiding roads close to schools, residential areas, and parts of the city with high pollution.

The initiative is a collaboration between the City of Amsterdam, City of Helsinki, Aalto University, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS Institute), Forum Virium Helsinki, Technical University Delft and The Future Mobility Network, and is funded by TomTom, Mercedes-Benz and EIT Urban Mobility.

Read the full story here: https://cities-today.com/helsinki-and-amsterdam-invite-motorists-to-code-the-streets/

Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS Institute) zoekt een programma ontwikkelaar met passie voor duurzaamheid & data. Een verbinder, die mensen en inhoud kan samenbrengen, en onderzoek kan koppelen aan maatschappij.

Wil jij bijdragen aan het ontwikkelen van de monitoring en sturing van de duurzaamheidsdoelstellingen van Amsterdam, en wil je opereren op het snijvlak van beleid, maatschappij en data-gedreven onderzoek?

AMS Institute werkt samen met de gemeente Amsterdam en andere partners in de MRA aan het monitoren en meten van de verschillende duurzaamheidsdoelstellingen van de stad. Denk aan energietransitie, circulaire economie, klimaatadaptatie, mobiliteit, donuteconomie. Het AMS Institute en de gemeente slaan de handen in elkaar om alle doelen, indicatoren en projecten in kaart te brengen, hun vooruitgang te meten en te identificeren waar de grootste potenties tot verbetering zitten.

Wij zoeken een ambitieuze en proactieve projectleider om dit meerjarig programma te leiden. Je werkt mee aan een van de grootste en vooruitstrevende initiatieven op het gebied van monitoring en sturing van de duurzame stad; een mooie kans om impact te maken.

Would you like to help make Amsterdam a safer and more livable place?  The Code The Streets project is looking for car drivers in Amsterdam who would like to test the TomTom AmiGo navigation app.  The goal of the pilot is to support you in choosing an alternative, more 'social' route by providing you data about school zones, traffic jams, environmental zones, and vulnerable infrastructure. All you have to do is fill in a short questionnaire and download the app. The only "must" is that you're an Android user.  As a token of appreciation, The Code The Streets team will be giving away a number of tickets to Move Amsterdam, including a guided tour of the interactive exhibit and a drink at Madame Cyclette.  Find out more and register to join the pilot via: https://www.codethestreets.eu/