#User involvement

Hoe houden we de stad leefbaar en bereikbaar voor iedereen? En hoe kunnen mobiliteitshubs hieraan bijdragen? Kom op donderdag 6 april naar de presentatie over de BuurtHubs pilot in Amsterdam. Projectleider Diederik Basta vertelt hier meer over de resultaten en geleerde lessen van BuurtHubs in Amsterdam: mobiliteitshubs in de buurt met elektrisch deelvervoer.
 
Hoe zijn de BuurtHubs gebruikt en wat is het effect op de openbare ruimte? Hoe is de buurt betrokken geweest bij de inrichting en realisatie? En welke effect op autobezit zien we? Je hoort er meer over tijdens deze presentatie. Verder wordt je meegenomen in de werkwijze van het Stedelijk Innovatie en R&D team van gemeente Amsterdam, waar vooronderstellingen en ethische afwegingen een belangrijke rol spelen.
 
Datum: donderdag 6 april 2023
Tijd: 16:00-17:00
Locatie: DataLab Amsterdam, Weesperstraat 113 BG, 1018 VN Amsterdam
 
Meld je nu aan via
https://www.meetup.com/nl-NL/datalab-amsterdam/events/292360391/
 
Over de BuurtHubs
Als onderdeel van het Europese eHUBS project zijn er de afgelopen 4 jaar 17 BuurtHubs gerealiseerd in de stad. In een BuurtHub wordt elektrisch deelvervoer aangeboden. Denk aan een fiets, bakfiets, scooter, of auto. Allemaal schoon, elektrisch en gebruikt door Amsterdammers uit de buurt. Met de BuurtHubs is onderzocht of deze bijdragen aan:
·         het verbeteren van de bereikbaarheid van een wijk of buurt
·         het stimuleren van gebruik van schoon deelvervoer
·         de luchtkwaliteit
·         het vergroten van de leefbaarheid
·         het verlagen van de CO2-uitstoot in de stad
 
Alvast meer weten?
We delen de geleerde lessen en handige tools van het BuurtHubs project graag met andere steden, organisaties en bewoners die aan de slag willen met zo’n mobiliteitshub of er meer over willen weten. Lees hier de Handreiking eHUBS: https://www.amsterdam.nl/innovatie/handreikingen-mobiliteit/

Klimaatmakers

Wil jij meehelpen aan een duurzamere wereld en ben je toe aan een flinke dosis inspiratie? Tijdens het Klimaatmakers spel bedenk en maak je zelf de nieuwste uitvindingen die klimaatproblemen oplossen. Van een stofzuiger die de zeebodem wegzuigt om zeespiegelstijging te voorkomen, tot een ijzersterk jasje voor bomen zodat ze niet gekapt kunnen worden. Alles kan en niets is te gek.

Klimaatmakers is een project van het Klimaatmuseum. Tijdens het spelen bedenken deelnemers in samenwerking met Laura Rutten (oprichter Klimaatmuseum) en Chris Marmier (beeldend kunstenaar) de meest creatieve klimaatuitvindingen.

Over Laura van Rutten en Chris Marmier

Laura van Rutten is oprichter van het Klimaatmuseum en bedenker van Klimaatmakers. Laura heeft veel ervaring en expertise opgedaan in zowel musea als klimaatorganisaties. Met het Klimaatmuseum brengt ze de twee samen. Dat is ontzettend belangrijk. Want zo zegt Laura: “Een beter klimaat begint bij de verbeelding”.

Chris Marmier is beeldend kunstenaar en grafisch ontwerper. Chris is een echte verhalenverteller. Hij benadrukt graag details, gebruikt veel kleur, geeft een draai aan denkbeelden en onderzoekt verschillende interpretaties. Hij heeft in galerieën geëxposeerd in Amsterdam en New York.

Praktisch

Voor een bezoek aan deze activiteit in De Studio reserveer je een ticket via de website van NEMO. De toegangsprijs is € 7,50.

Het spel start om 20.00 uur en en duurt ongeveer 1,5 uur. Voorafgaand aan de activiteit kun je vanaf 19.00 uur de tentoonstelling Energy Junkies bezoeken.
 
Op vertoon van een kortingspas ontvangen pashouders voorafgaand aan de activiteit een gratis drankje. Deelnemende passen zijn: Museumkaart, VriendenLoterij VIP-KAART, Stadspas Amsterdam, CJP pas en Collegekaart.
 
De Studio van NEMO is een extra locatie van NEMO Science Museum op het Marineterrein in Amsterdam. De programmering is speciaal voor volwassenen.

When:
Call for applications is open until April 2nd. The program will last from April 2023 until early July 2023.

What:
The AMS Startup Booster is a business idea development and validation program hosted by AMS Institute, aiming to help aspiring entrepreneurs turn their gut feeling into a business. The entrepreneurs are expected to pursue an impact-driven startup in the field of urban tech.

Lasting 3 months, the AMS Startup Booster 2023 will start on April 14th and run until early July 2023. The program will be hybrid, mainly physical at the AMS Institute (Marineterrein, Amsterdam). The program is most effective when all teams are fully committed so during the aforementioned time period there is a minimum requirement of 8 hours per week for each startup.

How: Building blocks of the AMS Startup Booster program
The program consists of key components that help prepare for a successful start-up:

• An entrepreneurship curriculum with more than 20 workshops & masterclasses
• Mentoring by Industry experts & successful entrepreneurs
• Access to cutting-edge research by AMS Institute experts
• Connections & Insights into how public organizations work through our partnership with Gemeente of Amsterdam
• Lifelong access to online entrepreneurship & pitching courses
• Office space & Makerspace
• 1K Credit for Miro
• Cost & equity free

Workshops & Masterclasses by renowned professionals
Through a series of workshops and masterclasses offered by renowned professionals & business experts, we take your startup idea from a concept to a validated business model. During these workshops, the following topics will be addressed:

• Research Fundamentals & Problem Definition
• Market Segmentation & Customer Personas
• Customer Discovery
• Value Proposition & Business Model Design
• MVP Design & Prototyping
• Experiment Design
• Pitching

In addition, our complimentary masterclasses will cover topics such as Team Fit & Alignment, Marketing & Branding, IP Rights, Finance & Funding, and many more. Peer-to-peer sessions and 1-on-1 coaching will complete the free services we offer to the selected startups. In total, the startups will get a 360 entrepreneurship curriculum consisting of more than 30 workshops & masterclasses.

Demo Day: Pitch & win fantastic prizes
We close off the program with a Demo Day during which the teams showcase their business ideas and prototypes to a broad audience of experts, investors, and entrepreneurs and compete for a list of amazing prizes! Prizes include:

• A prize of €5000 euros cash for product development
• An in-kind prize of €10.000 for a feasibility experiment in the testing area of Marineterrein Amsterdam Living Lab
• Access to follow-up programs & funding opportunities from AMS Institute & founding partners (WUR & TU Delft)
• Additional customer discovery sessions & continuous coaching & mentoring
• Office Space & Makerspace
• Promo material & access to a large network of public and private AMS Partners

In addition, connections with other programs and potential investors will be made.

For whom?
We are looking for ambitious students, researchers and young professionals who have an awesome business idea that could impact city life and solve metropolitan challenges. Please note we are looking for teams not a single founder.

Registration
Apply for the AMS Startup Booster via this form. Applications should be submitted no later than April 2nd.

Toen ik als kleine jongen na lang zeuren eindelijk eens op de skelter van de buurjongen mocht rijden, was ik als kind zo blij. Hetzelfde overkwam me, zoveel jaren later nog eens vlak voor het einde van 2022. Door onze Community Manager Sophie was ik geattendeerd op een klein berichtje van NEMO de Studio, een soort dependance van NEMO met een eigen tentoonstelling ('energy junkies') op het Marineterrein. Praktisch buren van Amsterdam Smart City, waar ik sinds halverwege 2022 anderhalve dag per week werk op het thema mobiliteit.

NEMO de Studio ging rijden met de Witkar en je mocht mee, tenminste, als je de 'prijs' won. Daarvoor hoefde je alleen een mailtje te sturen. Nu ben ik dol op prijzen waar ik nagenoeg niets voor hoef te doen, dus dat mailtje was zo gestuurd. En tot mijn verbazing bleek ik gewonnen te hebben. Dus daar ging ik, op 29 december, naar NEMO de Studio.

Natuurlijk had ik Sophie en Pelle (mijn compagnon op het thema mobiliteit) meegevraagd en gedrieën werden we ontvangen door Jodie en Maaike van NEMO. De Witkar was aan het opladen, gewoon met een stekker in het stopcontact. Een driewieler die inderdaad grotendeels wit is, met een mooie rode bies aan de onderkant, en in de verte iets wegheeft van de Pausmobiel. Hoog en rondom ramen. Vanwege de mooie ronde koplampen doet het denken aan Brum, het oldtimer autootje met de ronde koplampen als ogen.

De Witkar reed tussen 1974 en 1986 rond in de stad. Het is feitelijk de eerste elektrische deelauto in Amsterdam. De bedenker ervan, Luud Schimmelpennink, is ook bekend van het Witte Fietsenplan. In totaal zijn er 38 Witkarren gemaakt waarvan er zo'n 25 daadwerkelijk hebben rondgereden. De autootjes stonden in speciaal gebouwde laadstations en konden door leden tegen een vergoeding gebruikt worden. Het was een non-profit initiatief; de opbrengsten werden beheerd door een stichting en werd geïnvesteerd in beheer en uitbreiding van het systeem. Hoeveel mensen er daadwerkelijk gebruik van hebben gemaakt is mij niet bekend.

En nu mocht ik het dus ook proberen. Zelf sturen zat er helaas niet in, maar meerijden is ook al een belevenis. De 'handrem' werd weggenomen, gewoon een stuk blok dat achter de wielen wordt gelegd (een echte handrem was kennelijk niet nodig). Na plaatsgenomen te hebben in de ovale coupé op het Gispen (jawel!) stoeltje naast Jodie die voor deze gelegenheid ook chauffeur was, kon het avontuur beginnen. Voor de gelegenheid hadden de dames een jaren 70 Spotify lijstje opgezet op een JBL- speakertje die achter de stoelen was gelegd (ruimte genoeg). Oude en nieuwe technologie die naadloos samengaan.

Nog even de gordel aan en hup het gaspedaal werd ingedrukt. Soepel accelereerde het karretje naar zo'n 15 km per uur. Het maximum ligt op 30 km/u maar het Marineterrein leent zich daar niet echt voor. Het ritje was niet heel comfortabel, door het gebrek aan schokdempers voel je elk hobbeltje. En door de vele kieren hebben wind en regen vrij spel. De Witkar zou in deze tijd ook ongetwijfeld worden afgekeurd voor gebruik op de openbare weg. Maar net als op de skelter destijds, heb ik ontzettend genoten. Wat een heerlijke ervaring! Comfort en gemak zijn hier niet het belangrijkste. Net zoals bij bijv. kamperen zijn andere zaken veel interessanter dan het comfort van een huisje of hotel. Plezier, authenticiteit, vrijheid, verbinding, avontuur, weg uit de hokjes, verzin het maar: de Witkar biedt het. Een mooie uitvinding van een visionaire man die zijn tijd duidelijk ver vooruit was. Dus, mag ik ajb nog een keer? Mijn buurjongetje destijds verhuisde vrij snel. Maar hopen dat deze buren lang op het Marineterrein blijven!

In deze masterclass denken we na en discussiëren over oplossingsrichtingen voor diverse uitdagingen. We proberen we ons een voorstelling te maken van de stad van straks. Geen toekomstvoorspellingen, maar toekomstvoorstellingen.

We gaan o.a. in op de onderwerpen

✓ Wat maakt een stad een stad?
✓ Wat is stedelijkheid?
✓ Hoe ontwikkelen steden zich, groeien ze allemaal?
✓ Bouwen we in of buiten de stad?
✓ Wie wonen er nu in de steden en wie kan er straks nog wonen?
✓ Wat voor werk is er nu in de steden en wat voor werk in de toekomst?
✓ Hoe houden we steden veilig in onzekere tijden?
✓ Is de stad voor de yup en expat of kan Jan Modaal er ook nog terecht?
✓ Is de stad nog de “emancipatiemotor”?
✓ Hoe “smart” wordt de stad?
✓ Mogen auto’s straks nog in de stad?
✓ Hoe krijgen we de stad duurzaam?
✓ Blijft de stad bestuurbaar? Hoe houden we “de boel bij elkaar”?
✓ Welke dynamiek kennen stedelijke netwerken?
✓ Wat gaat dat betekenen voor stedelingen/niet stedelingen?
✓ Oplossingsrichtingen voor de knelpunten met woningmarkt, mobiliteit, duurzaamheid, klimaat, onder controle krijgen van de stedelijke arbeidsmarkt/evenwichtigheid.
✓ Nadenken over / input voor beleidsvorming over stedelijke vraagstukken/regionaal economische vraagstukken (stad voor iedereen - of ga er buiten wonen en regel goed vervoer; woningmarkt voor de middenklasse, etc).

Docenten

De Masterclass De Toekomst van de Stad is onder leiding van dr. Piet Renooy. Verschillende UvA docenten verzorgen een bijdrage in het programma o.a. prof. dr. Pieter Tordoir en dr. Tim Verlaan en diverse gastsprekers, te weten prof. dr. Gert-Jan Hospers, dr. Bas van de Griendt, drs. Josse de Voogd, dr. Jos Gadet, drs. Floor Milikowski en Nik Smit.

Deelnemers ontvangen een certificaat van deelname vanuit de Universiteit van Amsterdam

Een hoopvolle toekomst

Klimaatverandering is de grootste bedreiging van het leven op aarde. Het is dan ook logisch dat de gevolgen soms zorgen voor een pessimistisch gevoel. En hoe meer je je in het onderwerp verdiept, des te sterker dat gevoel kan worden. In deze lezing legt Ruben Jacobs uit hoe we zover zijn gekomen en waar onze verantwoordelijkheid ligt. Maar hij vertelt vooral over hoop in tijden van klimaatverandering en welk verhaal we onze kinderen straks kunnen vertellen.

Locatie & tijd

De lezingstart om 20.00 uur en duurt ongeveer 1 uur. Voorafgaand aan de lezing kun je vanaf 19.00 uur de tentoonstelling Energy Junkies bezoeken.

De Studio van NEMO is een extra locatie van NEMO Science Museum op het Marineterrein in Amsterdam. De programmering is speciaal voor volwassenen.

Foto: Keke Keukelaar

Eerste hulp bij klimaatstress

Na twee zomers kamperen in je tentje in Nederland wil je eindelijk weer eens op een verre vliegvakantie. Maar je schaamt je om het aan anderen te vertellen. Wil je lang douchen, maar vindt jouw partner dat niet goed voor het milieu? Twijfel jij ook weleens aan wat je nou echt kan doen voor een beter klimaat en ben je daar soms gestrest over? Of valt het in jouw ogen allemaal wel mee? In de inspiratiesessie Eerste hulp bij klimaatstress gaan we in gesprek over persoonlijke ervaringen met klimaatverandering. Houd je hoofd koel en ontdek samen met expert Jeanine Pothuizen hoe je het beste omgaat met emoties rondom het klimaat.

Locatie & tijd

De sessie start om 20.00 uur en duurt ongeveer 2 uur. Voorafgaand aan de sessie kun je vanaf 19.00 uur de tentoonstelling Energy Junkies bezoeken.

De Studio van NEMO is een extra locatie van NEMO Science Museum op het Marineterrein in Amsterdam. De programmering is speciaal voor volwassenen.

Foto: DigiDaan

The excursions are delivered as a partnership between the Urban Cycling Institute (UCI) and Bicycle User Experience (BUX).

This two hour excursion brings you to key innovation sites in the central core of Amsterdam, starting at the Nieuwmarkt square in the city center, and ending at the Rijksmuseum. We curate stops at select sites that are representative of broader trends taking place in the city. We discuss changing directions of how the city views cyclists and the street, we show you best practices and- most importantly 😉 – we promise to challenge your preconceptions of how to plan for a cycling city. At the end, we provide different avenues for continued engagement and learning with us.

The study excursions take place from 16:00-18:00 most Saturdays in July and August*. The cost is €50 per person. There are 15 open spots per excursion. Participants need to arrange their own bicycle to take part.

Dates: July: 23, 31*(July 31st is a Sunday)
August: 6, 13, 20, 27

For full information and sign-up, visit the following link:

I am Sener Kaya from Turkey. I am a lecturer in Ankara/Turkey. Also I am a PhD student in sociology at Sakarya University. My thesis subject is "The Transformation Revealed by Smart City Applications in Urban Identity: Amsterdam Example".  Because of my thesis, I want to come to the Amsterdam and do interviews with experts who work on smart city. If you accept, I would like to work with you. I am also member of Amsterdam Smart City.
There is no study on smart cities in the field of sociology in Turkey yet. If I finish my thesis successfully, it will be the first study. I would be very happy if you support me in this matter.

My thesis's main question is '' What kind of change/transformation do smart city applications reveal in urban identity?''.

Today, many smart city applications are made by local governments. What kind of a transformation do these studies reveal in the economic, physical and socio-cultural identity of the city that it has carried from the past to the present? How do these studies carried out by local governments respond to the social problems of individuals living in the city?These are some of the sub-questions in my research. When I decided to study this topic I noticed that smart city studies generally are about physical or economic dimensions, especially in Turkey. But In studies in Turkey, this issue has almost never been addressed with its social dimensions. Therefore, I decided that this issue should be studied. Because all the elements that make up the identity of the city should be taken into account in order for the studies to be put forward by the local governments to be holistic. This is why I chose the city of Amsterdam as an example. While the work done in the city of Amsterdam was done from the top to down in the past, the work done today is done from the bottom to up and the people are at the center. I would like to come to Amsterdam and have interviews with people and institutions working on this subject. I am waiting for good news from all of you. I hope someone else accept to work with me.

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

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!

Energy, food, mobility, finance – just about every global sector is expected to transform dramatically in the coming decades. So isn’t it time you create your own transition strategy?

Do you believe, like us, that sustainability and social justice are key to fundamental change? Then join ‘Just Sustainability Transitions’: a hands-on, six-month course that provides the tools and inspiration needed to facilitate change processes.

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.

The 15th episode of the Better cities - The contribution of digital technology- series is about collaboration between Dutch cities within the City Deals in the Agenda stad en regio project.

Over the past years, the interest Dutch municipalities in digitization at urban level has increased, partly because of the initiating role of the VNG, G40, the Future City Foundation and forerunners such as Apeldoorn, Helmond, and Zwolle as well. Initially, these were small-scale and isolated projects. In this post, I'll discuss two projects that aim at scaling through collaboration.

A mission-driven approach to public sector projects

In her new book, Mission Economy, Mariana Mazzucato advocates a mission-driven approach to public sector projects at the local level in the way that a man was put on the moon. She refers at large-scale projects with a high degree of complexity, such as the energy transition, the construction of affordable housing, the well-being of the poor part of the population and the conservation of nature.

What is a mission-driven approach? At first, it includes an ambitious vision, followed by breaking down silos within the governmental organization, collaboration within the quadruple helix, and cooperation between higher and lower governments.

A mission-driven approach is appropriate for the major transitions facing the world and digitization as a part of these. The following pertains to a couple of projects that aim at such an approach. The first, Agenda city and region has been running for some time and will be dealt with extensively. The other is initiated by G40 will be discussed briefly.

Agenda stad and City deals

In Agenda city and region, cities, governments at different levels, companies, and organizations, including the VNG, G4, G40 and Platform31, work together to drive innovation in cities. The mission is summarized in SDG 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. The most important instrument are City Deals: collaborative ventures around a themes.

The first City Deals started in 2016, there are now 27, about half of which have been completed, but six new ones are about to start. 125 municipalities, 8 provinces, 9 ministries, 10 other government agencies, 5 water boards, more than 100 companies, 30 knowledge institutions and more than 20 other partnerships are involved. There are now 14 partnerships with municipalities outside the Netherlands.

Examples of City Deals are: Working and doing business across borders, cleantech, food on the urban agenda, local resilience against cybercrime, inner city building, the inclusive city, and smart city, that's how you do it. The latter will be discussed below.

Within a City Deal, the parties involved work together in their own way on concrete products, ranging from legislation to policy instruments. The main principles are:
- Formulating an ambition and a strategy.
- Enabling scaling through cooperation between and/or within (urban) regions.
- Realizing collaboration between public and private parties, including the central government
- Innovating by realizing new forms of problem-solving.
- Scaling up, also across national borders.

City Deals also work together and new deals are created from among them, such as ‘Smart customization', a new City Deal that arises from the existing City Deals 'Simple customization' and 'Smart city, that is how you do it'. If I had to imagine how a moonshot works, which I referred to in the introduction of this article, then Agenda city and region could be a good example.

City deal 'A smart city, this is how you do it'

The goal of this City Deal, as we read in the annual report, is to use digitization to tackle the major challenges facing Europe and the Netherlands, such as poverty, social cohesion, and insecurity, and to achieve a society in which everyone can live in freedom. 60 parties are now involved in this City Deal.

The aim is to change at least 12 processes by which regions, cities and towns are designed, organized, managed, and governed, and to make the most of the opportunities offered by digitization. The starting point is the existing practice and aimed at matching city’s demands.

The City Deal 'Smart city, this is how you do it', has 14 working groups. Each of those have chosen which a process to tackle, on the understanding that three municipalities must be prepared to test the results and can be scaled eventually. The City Deal 'A smart city, this is how you do it' has been underway for almost two years now, and the processes to be tackled have crystallized. In a few cases prototypes are ready, most are under development. Below is a brief description of the situation on November 15th, 2021. A lively description of some participants’ experience can be read in ROMmagazine, volume 39, no. 11.

1. Open urban data platform
This project is developing a procedure for tendering an open data platform, which is shareable and scalable, in which privacy and data autonomy are guaranteed and that offers sufficient precautions for cybersecurity. The result will be a step-by-step plan, in which technical questions (what it will looks like), legal questions (who is the owner) and financial questions (funding) are discussed.

2. Cookbook for effective data strategy
This project develops a procedure for the acquisition and storage of data. A 'data cookbook' has been developed that supports the collection, storage, and application of data. It offers an 11-step plan from the formulation of a measurable questions to the interpretation of the measurement results. It accentuates the importance to make explicit the assumptions behind the selection of data. The usability of the steps is tested in practice. A first concept can be found here.

3. Smart initiatives test
The aim of this project is to allow initiators (citizens, companies) to make optimal use of available public data, including those that will be provided by the DSO (digitaal stelsel omgevingswet). The DSO will provide information about which rules apply at a specific location and ultimately also about the quality of the physical living environment itself. Ideally, the ‘smart initiatives test’ will collect and optimize all data needed for a plan. The project group is currently investigating which types of (geo) data users need most ('usercases').

4. Sensor data and privacy
The aim of the project is to develop a tool that allows a municipality to tender for the installation of sensors that exactly match the type of data that will be collected and that consider ethical questions and GDPR rules.

5. Design of the new city
The growing availability of various types of (real-time) data, for example about air quality and noise pollution) has implications for the way in which cities and neighborhoods are developed. The working group is developing a canvas that functions as a ‘translator' of available data. The starting point for its development was a matrix with as inputs the phases of the design process (initiative, design and realization phase) and the area type (urban, Randstad and suburban area). This matrix must indicate which data is needed at what time. The usability will be tested through pilots.

6. Everyone (and everything) a sensor
Citizen measurement initiatives (via telephones and with sensors attached to bicycles, cars, and homes) have a double goal: to increase citizen’s involvement and to improve the insight into living environment of those who execute the measurement. It can also contribute to behavioral change, especially if the measurements match the needs of residents and they are also involved in the interpretation of the results. The working group is striving for a roadmap based on several user cases.

7. Local measurement: comparing projects
Measuring data locally – as was done in the previous project – may be redundant if data from elsewhere is available. In that case, comparability is required with data being searched for and standardization is needed to enable such a comparison. However, standardization can lead to mistrust and remove the incentive for resident groups to get started themselves. Ultimately, the working group opts for the development of a self-service portal, which will be developed together with the Healthy Urban Living Data and Knowledge Hub. Resident groups can then choose for themselves to participate in a standardized project that reads their measurement results directly or for a 'do-it-yourself' solution. A manual will be written for this last option.

Both projects are being further developed in collaboration with Eurocities, a network of 190 cities in 38 countries, under the name CitiMeasure - using citizen measurement to create smart, sustainable and inclusive cities.

8. Smart mobility: Towards a safe and sustainable city
Digitization in traffic has already taken off, for example by intelligent traffic systems (IVRIs), but usually the existing situation, for example private use of cars, is the starting point. The question is how to connect to the pursuit of a better quality of life. To this end, the working group has chosen three themes: better accessibility for emergency services, shared mobility, and city logistics.
A step-by-step plan is being developed for emergency services, with which municipalities can realize the necessary facilities to always priorize emergency vehicles – and possibly other target groups as well.
If everyone were to travel with the most suitable means of transport at that time (varying from walking, (shared) bicycle or scooter, public transport to (shared) car, private car use would decrease considerably and thus improve the quality of city live. Additionally, the working group is developing a 'map' to encourage shared mobility, which provides answers to all related questions.
Developments in city logistics are already taking place via other routes. Therefore, the contribution of the working group in this regard will be limited.

9. A business model for the smart city
New forms of collaboration between governments, the business community, knowledge institutions and citizens can result in new 'values' for areas, but also to the need to allocate costs and benefits in a different way. A new 'business model' may then be necessary. To this end, the working group is investigating the consequences for companies and organizations of entering partnerships for the successful development of products and services. This compared to more traditional client/contractor relationships.

10 Ethical Boards
Within the City Deal 'A smart city, this is how you do it', a rule is that digital instruments to be developed always comply with ethical principles. The implications of such principles are often situational. That is why municipalities are setting up an 'ethical board', which includes experts and residents. To support its work, the committee wants to create a knowledge platform that informs which ethical principles or tools suit best for different digitization projects.

11 Model Acquisition
Local authorities want to regulate the use of digital tools such as sensors in public spaces. Anita Nijboer, who works as a lawyer at Kennedy Van der Laan, who is also a partner of the City Deal 'Smart city, this is how you do it', has drawn up a model regulation for this purpose, which has already been tested in Rotterdam and Helmond. The most important learning effect is that departments within a municipality have fundamentally different view of the way in which these types of questions should be legally framed. In response to this, the working group is examining the question of whether a model regulation is an appropriate answer to obtaining consent for the use of digital tools.

12 Dealing with crowds in the city
Measuring (too large) crowds in parts of the city was a problem long before corona times. The aim is to develop a digital model ('digital twin') of the city - a so-called crowd safety manager - that provides real-time insight into pedestrian flows and concentrations. Such a model must also be able to communicate with people in the city. A prototype of a dashboard, developed by partner company Argaleo, is now being used in 's-Hertogenbosch, Breda and The Hague. This instrument does not use any personal data. It is being further developed at European level with external subsidies.

The instruments to be developed and existing instruments have been brought together via a website, the Toolbox. Other City Deals also develop knowledge, which is far from being systematically documented. That is why the best way to distribute this knowledge is investigated together with the Knowledge Lab for Urbanism.

G40: Smart sustainable urbanization

In March 2021, G40, the umbrella organization of 40 medium-sized municipalities, submitted a project proposal to promote digitalization and thus also create opportunities to the business community.

The project plan rejects the current approach of 'smart urbanization' and the realization of 'main social tasks'. Decentralization, broadening of tasks, narrowing of implementation funds and a fragmented central government policy have led to an impeding control gap and financing deficit in municipalities. Instead, a bundled approach is wanted, led by representatives of municipalities and central government, and the latter is being asked to invest € 1 billion.

When studying this plan, I was surprised by the absence of any reference to the activities of Agenda city and regioand the City Deals. Instead, one wonders whether Agenda city and region is the subject of criticism of the fragmented approach and G40 wants to get rid of it.
The strength of Agenda city and region is the cross connections between urban projects of all kinds, the involvement of citizens and intermunicipal cooperation. This is something to cherish.

In my opinion, G40 would be better off by ushering in a new phase of Agenda city and region, characterized by economies of scale and acceleration of the findings so far. The aims of this new phase could be consolidation of the cohesion between the themes of the individual City Deals within the framework of the major transitions facing the Netherlands. The theme of digitization thrives best in this context. After all, the ultimate value of digitization lies in the contribution to the energy transition, the reduction of traffic nuisance and the growth of a circular economy, to name a few examples. However, that requires a different plan.

In the meantime, I hope that in the foreseeable future we will be able to see the results of the working groups of the City Deal 'Smart city, this is how you do it', together with those of the other 'Deals'.

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

Amsterdam is inviting universities, companies and members of the public to come up with solutions to improve bike safety in the Dutch capital through an open challenge.
The central theme of the competition – “Different speeds on bicycle paths” – aims to influence the behaviour of road users and asks how bike delivery services, and differences in speed bicycle types can impact this.
Applications are open until February 24, with the winner set to be announced on April 11.

Free, open access toolkit of people-centered methods for urban planners, designers, and advocates to make cycling inclusive and accessible to all.

Six weeks ago, I started a new weekly series answering the question how digitization can contribute to the development of better cities and their surroundings. Technology alone cannot reach this goal. Far-reaching social and economic reforms are needed, also to ensure that the benefits of digitization are shared by everyone.

Below you will find links to the articles published until now:

Part A: Digital technology as a challenge

1. Prologue to a new series: Better cities. The role of digital technologies

2. Scare-off the monster behind the curtain: Big Tech’s monopoly

3. Ten years of smart city technology marketing

4. Digital social innovation: For the social good (and a moonshot)

5. Collect meaningful data and stay away from dataism

6. The Boston Smart City Playbook

7. The Future of Urban Tech. A project of the NYC Cornell University

Next up:
Part B: Digital instruments and ethics

8. Digital technology and the urban sustainability agenda. A frame

9. Ethical principles for digital technology

10. Accessibility, software, digital infrastructure, and data. The quest for ethics

11. Ethical principles and artificial intelligence

12. Ethical principles and applications of digital technology

13. Amsterdam benchmarked

14. ‘Agenda stad’ and digital instruments

Part C: Applications
15. Artificial intelligence abused
16. Government: services and participation
17. Mobility
18. Circular economy: Construction
19. Circular economy: Waste
20. Resilience
21. Energy transition
22. Health
23. Smart cities from scratch
24. Epilogue

Links to the Dutch versions, you will find below:

Beste netwerk,
Voor mijn studie Construction Management & Engineering (CME) aan de Technische Universiteit Eindhoven ben ik op dit moment bezig met mijn afstudeeronderzoek naar de effecten van autodelen op het reisgedrag van individuen. Daarvoor wil ik een aantal minuten van jouw tijd vragen.

Hoe kun je helpen?
Door het invullen van de online enquête, help je mij bij het verzamelen van gegevens voor het onderzoek naar deze effecten. Voel je vrij om het ook te delen met je eigen netwerk.

Via onderstaande link is de online enquête te bereiken.
ONLINE ENQUÊTE: https://tueindhoven.limequery.com/143597?lang=nl

Ik wil je alvast bedanken voor de aandacht en tijd! Deelname wordt enorm gewaardeerd. Indien je verdere verduidelijking of informatie wenst, neem dan gerust contact met mij op via email (g.a.h.mutsaers@student.tue.nl)

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/