#User involvement

Next week, as part of We Make the City, we will be demonstrating some of the latest camera and object recognition technology and discuss the past, present and future of neighborhoods and how they relate to public data collected as a service solution vs a surveillance system.

Join us on Thursday June 21 at 2PM at Makerversity (part of the Marineterrien) for a thought provoking panel of guests including: Marc Schoneveld (DataLab), Bert Spaan (city data applications), Kim Smouter (Head of Public Affairs & Professional Standards, ESOMAR) and Tom van Arman (CITIXL).

Signup here: http://bit.ly/2JMLreQ

Why are we doing this?

The Chinese social credit system (SCS) was rolled out in 2014 and is planned to be fully implemented by 2020. That means that more than 1.4 billion Chinese either are currently or will be registered and tracked within the next few years. The Chinese government claims to use the system to both regulate the economy and individual citizen behavior by monitoring “trustworthiness”. According to the policy "It will forge a public opinion environment where keeping trust is glorious. It will strengthen sincerity in government affairs, commercial sincerity, social sincerity and the construction of judicial credibility." The Chinese government gathers information about its citizens’ including facial recognition, online behavior, spending, travel, social interactions and more. It is using this big data to provide individuals a social score that if high leads to privileges, but if low restrictions or punishment such as slower internet, restricted borrowing, travel bans, lowered status in dating apps and yes even less toilet paper in public restrooms.

This isn’t a Black Mirror episode,. Research shows that more than 90% of people rely on online reviews, so why not people reviews? While the Chinese government is using SCS to encourage trustworthy behavior, private industry is also venturing into people reviews and ratings. One such company, Peeple, released an app that allows individuals to review friends, colleagues, babysitter, dates and even enemies. The idea of this app outraged many in 2015 when it was unveiled and it has struggled to gain followers, but it could be just a matter of time before social rating systems become a way of life… and is it really so different from China’s SCS?

What are the dangers of this type of social scoring? Perhaps more importantly, what are the implications of harnessing big data from our traditional public commons? We have long had CCTV cameras in many of our big cities, including Amsterdam, for security purposes, but now technology such as machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) can use this data, combine it with other data and the use-cases are boundless. But the question is who will decide how this data should be used and when is it in the best interest of our citizens?

Good Intentions
They say history repeats itself and I cannot help but recall what happened here in the Netherlands…back in 1936 it became mandatory for each Dutch municipality to maintain a demographic record of its inhabitants and by 1939 everyone was required to carry a persoonskaart or a personal id card that contained information deemed important by the Nederland Bureau of Statistics including gender, age, religion, pollical party, heritage or “ethnic origins.” All of the information was stored centrally using, at the time, a technologically advanced “Hollerith punch-card” system. While the Dutch government collected and held the data for the best intentions, we all know what happened when Germany invaded and gained access to all of the centrally held data and processing power.

Fast forward 82 years and we no longer need personal identity cards when most of today’s cameras can recognize our faces in public and private domains. Should we be concerned? Is there a way to embrace technological advances for the “good” and somehow mitigate the risks? The famous historian, philosopher and author Yuval Harari said in his TedTalk that he “never underestimates human stupidity.” What I think he means by this is that history repeats itself in various ways and we often think it is a completely new situation, but it is often the same problem in a new context. For example there are lots of rights we rights we 21st century consumers will wave if we have to sacrifice convenience. The disruptive technology of today is a double-edged sword with wonderful potential to solve many of our world’s most pressing problems, but that potential also can, if we do not critically assess, have horrendous consequences. We, as citizens need to take responsibility and educate ourselves about what is happening in our increasingly complicated world. Unfortunately, it is as grave as it sounds. There is no reset button. It is our responsibility to make smart choices now for our future.

Let's celebrate! You are part of an amazing community of 5000 members. We just passed this milestone, so it is time to ask some new members what they think!

Meet Eva,

She recently joined the smart city community. Eva is an economist at a multi IT (Oracle) - and recently started to work as freelance architect in parallel. She lives in Budaörs, a city near Budapest. "Important characteristic of the city is that citizens define Budaörs as an independent and innovative city. We are improving public space in our own way".

We asked her a few questions:

What brought you to join the community?

I am an IT expert dealing with emerging technology in applications eg. ML supported IOT for predictive maintenance, while I am also an enthusiastic architect, fond of contemporary Dutch architecture. I have an interest in both smart building and smart city topics. I was looking for possibilities of visiting EDGE Amsterdam, that's how I have found Amsterdam Smart City. Then I saw a lot of interesting programs (like WeMakeThe.City, which I will attend), the possibility to exchange experiences and ideas and making contacts, which lead me to join the community.

Which smart city topic do you find most important?

I am personally interested in Infrastructure & Technology. I cannot judge which one is the most important for Amsterdam now. For us, Mobility and Citizens & Living are the hot topics.

What should the city of the future look like?

Creative, vivid, human-centric & green (in all senses).

Anything else you want to share with the community?
I worked for 1 year in the Netherlands earlier. Based on my experiences I believe that if Amsterdam aims to be the most innovative smart capital in Europe, than it will happen. So anyone interested in smart city topic should keep an eye on what and how Amsterdam Smart City is doing in Amsterdam.

We also interviewed Mathilde, find her story here!

Thank you all, for being such a great community!

Adding knowledge towards a project you have (City level) in the area of water or smart city and smart mobility. To actively envolve the end- user, citizens engagement and participation;. We have large survey results in the area of smart city and smart mobility to actively involve the end user in the project you have. To make your project more succesfull because people actually use it.

Looking for a project and / or partnership in a city or area of the city to conduct further study in the area of citizens engagement and to add the human factor within the project or city for you.

The TechMeetups Drinks & Demo Night aims to bring tech enthusiasts and entrepreneurial spirits together as well as to share innovative ideas and new-age technologies! The Drinks & Demo night is one not to be missed; with its vibrant atmosphere it is ideal for those searching for great networking opportunities.

If you want to demo your company or share ideas with the crowd, this event is for you! We’ll have 5 presentation slots, 10 mins each followed by discussion panel with our community. Apply and find out more about presenters here: https://techmeetups.com/event/amsterdam-techmeetups-drinks-demo-night-june-5th-2018-tmudrinks/

Noise pollution is one of the biggest social problems in densely populated areas. To monitor and solve noise pollution problems in cities SensorTeam developed a novel automated platform and sound sensor for distributed noise measurements.

In a partnership with the city of Amstelveen we have installed a professional audio system in a hangout at the Zetterij in Amstelveen. We use wireless sensors to measure the sound level (dB) produced around this meeting place to avoid public nuisance.

These sensors are placed in the area around the hangout. Maximum sound levels can be remotely monitored and adjusted from SensorTeam’s cloud platform.

In this smart city project the city of Amstelveen gives substance to the local youth’s wish to play music at their own hangout.

About the technique
SensorTeam’s sound level meter is solar powered and is using low power network (LoRa) communication for realtime cloud monitoring. Measurements are accurate and independent and are displayed on SensorTeam’s cloud dashboard. To visualise the recorded data (sound levels) the varying decibels are represented on a coloured map, using inverse distance weighted technique.

LoRa Sound Sensor

SensorTeam IoT Dashboard

Circularity
Here at VelopA, and the lasting positive and negative effects that our products have on the environment. Which is why I am proud to announce the launch of the VelopA Circular Collection. In early 2018, the results from a number of studies and partnerships formed in 2017 will be published. All of our product segments contain various products with a circular design. These include circular bicycle racks, waste bins, posts and outdoor benches. In 2018, we will continue to expand our circular product range and increase the circularity of our products. This means that circularity is constantly evolving in three ways: in terms of new materials, production methods and business models. Our aim is to be a frontrunner in this area.

For over 60 years VelopA has been setting the standard to enhance the appeal of public spaces. Together we want to play an even bigger role in improving the quality of life in towns and villages, and create public spaces everyone can enjoy. We use our knowledge and expertise to design unique solutions and develop sustainable products.

Excellence through innovation and design
VelopA has built a wide circle of clients in sectors such as government, architecture, education, health care, business, construction (ground, roads and waterways) and leisure. Together we design and develop total concepts and cutting-edge strategies that stand out through innovation and design.

High quality and sustainability
We only want the very best solutions for public spaces. That is why we choose to work with high-grade and sustainable materials, ensuring that our solutions not only have a long lifespan, but also contribute to a more sustainable society. We strive for circular entrepreneurship, with products that are 100% reusable.

Working together towards one goal
We would love to share our expertise in areas such as bicycle parking facilities, bicycle shelters, street furniture, outdoor sports and play facilities. By working closely with partners from our extensive network we are able to provide innovative solutions to any problem, tailored to meet its specific needs.

VelopA is the European leader in enhancing the appeal of public spaces and is part of the Crowd Group, together with IJslander and Cyclepods. We have our headquarters in the Netherlands, with further offices in Belgium, Germany and France. In order to service the rest of Europe, we work together with distributors.

Now, we are currently looking for ambassadors to introduce our Circular line and much more. So, are you a key project manager for the circular economy and Smart City, please contact me for much more information.

Wil je weten wat je met je organische reststromen kunt doen om deze waardevol te maken? Of ben je benieuwd hoe je gft of groenafval van jezelf of van anderen kunt gebruiken in je eigen organisatie?
Kom dan naar het eindevenement in het kader van het tweejarig onderzoek Re-Organise. Dit evenement is gericht op professionals, beleidsmakers, onderzoekers en onderwijs in de stadslandbouw, afvalverwerking, horeca en groensector. Moderator Vera Dalm (Milieu Centraal / VVM) neemt ons mee vanuit de circulaire principes naar de stadslandbouw tot aan de praktische toepassingen voor organisch afval.

Wanneer: 18 april
Tijd: 14.00 tot 17.30 uur
Waar: Hogeschool van Amsterdam,
Weesperzijde 190, Amsterdam

In 2018, the Board will strive for realizing the initiative ‘Green Deal Zero Emission Stadslogistiek (ZES) in the Amsterdam metropolitan area. Governments, companies and knowledge institutions are therefore working together in order to make goods transportation emission free by 2025.

Do you have an interesting initiative, or are you – along with other parties – part of a project that focuses on cleaner and more sustainable goods transportation? Share this with us before the end of March.
For, towards the end of April, we will start an ‘online display’. In it, all currently active projects/initiatives around sustainable city-logistics within the metropolitan area are going to be presented. This will offer a clear overview of all the initiatives already running, furthermore, it might inspire others to get started on zero-emission urban transport.

We are therefore calling everyone to enrol, regardless of whether you’re a big or small initiative. There are already countless transporters in the Amsterdam metropolitan area that contribute to this much needed improvement/change. The first step is to make them visible for other interested parties, in order for the latter to be able to find and join initiatives and/or to share their knowledge and expertise. The next step is to scale up successful local initiatives, from being regional to becoming nationwide and even worldwide projects.

Is your organization/business/company committed to clean and smart urban logistics, and do you believe others can learn from your experience(s)? Then sign your-self/company up! We’re not only looking for companies with, for instance, a sustainable and smart way of transportation, but also for interesting/innovative collaborations that contribute to clean and green city transportation!

Circle Lab is an online platform for cities, businesses, and citizens to explore, brainstorm, and implement circular business models and strategies to tackle universal and local challenges. By digitising knowledge, opening up access, and encouraging co-creation, we aim to break down information silos and fuel cross-industry collaboration and innovation. The circular economy has the potential to change the world, and we believe the time to bring the concept to the kitchen table – so that everyone, from entrepreneurs to big brands, can play a role in making it a reality – is now.

• If you are interested in participating in one of our challenges register on the platform at www.circle-lab.com
• If you would like to provide content for our knowledge hub or are interested in placing a challenge on the platform please email us at hello@circle-lab.com

We want to locally grow & distribute oyster mushrooms from a locally diverted waste stream: office and hospitality coffee grounds. For this process, you need four things: coffee grounds, mushroom spawn, a cold room and a warm room.

We’ve started collecting green waste and coffee grounds from fourteen businesses in Secret Village (west part of Reguliersdwarsstraat and its side streets), every weekday. We currently compost all of it in the area, but we’d like to start producing oyster mushrooms from the coffee grounds ASAP. We’ve secured the cold room, but we’ve yet to find a small local space (±10m2, ±500m from Muntplein) that can function as the warm room. We’re also working on finalising a participation project with the municipality, for manpower needed for the collection and distribution of coffee grounds and mushrooms.

See also

Secret Village project page: www.greencitybuzz/secret-village

To read about all our activities in Secret Village, navigate to http://www.greencitybuzz.nl/secret-village/#projecten

For my graduation assignment at PostNL I do research into the wishes and needs of the consumer in the field of SmartHome and then mainly focused on the installation of this. It is important for me to know what your wishes and needs are! The survey takes up to 6 minutes. (Please note that the survey is now only available in Dutch. If you are only English-speaking and would like to participate in the study, I am of course willing to translate the survey into English. )

Click on the link to go to the survey: https://hva.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_08swaKTe6orvMvH.

The Smart City hackathon 2018 in Amsterdam will bring entrepreneurs and select university students to discuss the intersection of digital technology and urbanization!

The aim of the hackathon is to bring together a diverse range of perspectives, from academics to entrepreneurship, and ignite the flow of ideas between different members of society.

Please note: This hackathon is to focus on building a business model. Participants will be given 8 hours to develop a business model for a product that solves a topic in one of four tracks: energy efficiency, waste management, air quality, and transportation. Two specific challenges for each track will be released closer to the hackathon dates.

Save the date 23rd and 24th March and join us this year to find solutions only with business model, to common problems cities faces and to ignite the flow of ideas between different members of society!

Registration for Entrepreneurs & Professionals: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfNxj2rPT70B-faxcuYjSbQDDvo6_zOVQrlDVUMEjIeeVMgSg/viewform?usp=send_form

Registration for University students: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeMZuDD_akO1OjvmbZbICxFdJWbNfgZcXIjsoXPjDY1eE7QYw/viewform

For more information : http://www.smartcitychallenge.net/

On the 16th of January 40 smart city professionals met our smart city researchers at the Amsterdam University of Applied Science. Our researchers presented their fields of knowledge, projects and tools. After which the Smart city professionals took the stage and pitched their smart city issues in order to win one of our research vouchers (equals one fulltime week of research). Each organization was matched with one of our researchers in order to start a research or student project.

The ambition of the smart city academy is to make our knowledge and tools more visible and applicable to smart city professionals. That’s why we for example presented our projects on upscaling, business models, entrepreneurship and learning, user design, stakeholder engagement and data. We showed a couple of our tools, like ‘the multi stakeholder multi criteria analysis’ (MAMCA), which can be uses to discuss and weight the interests of stakeholders in smart city initiatives. And our multi stakeholder business canvas, that is still in development, which helps finding a viable business model that suits the needs for all involved stakeholder your smart city project.

The researchers and organizations that brought up their smart city issue will continue with drawing up a research question which will be evaluated by the smart city academy professors; at the end of January. We will grant four research vouchers to the most promising combinations.

Big thanks to Mark Deakin for giving a key note on his research on sustainable smart city developments and offering a theoretical framework. And to those brave enough to climb up the soap box and present their smart city issue. We showed once again that a smart city is indeed a learning city!

Are you curious about our researchers and their ambitions? Starting a project together of doing a masterclass on one of the subjects mentioned above? Contact the academy at smartcityacademy@hva.nl and find us on the website.

Our ambition is to do further research on Smart City projects and their ecosystem. Therefore, we are curious about your smart city issues and questions! Are you a company, foundation, government or startup with a challenge in health, mobility, energy or other smart city issues? Are you curious about the possibilities of big data, struggling to scale-up, wondering how to create effective partnerships, trying to make a business case for you smart city project?
Put your research question into the spotlight at our Smart City Academy event on the 16th of january and win a research voucher. This voucher gives you access to a researcher that will explore your issue for a week. We will try to formulate some first answers to your research question and explore further steps for research together with public or private companies.

If you're interested in pitching on this event, or want some further information, please contact smartcityacademy@hva.nl

For more information about the event, click here https://amsterdamsmartcity.com/events/elevate-smart-city-practice-ih01ygsv

HEAT is the number one solution to the prolonged decision-making processes typically involved in energy issues. HEAT allows parties to co-design and develop a heating grid.

Quick: HEAT provides instant feedback about your own actions and those of your partners, providing an immediate and clear understanding of your and their goals and interests, funding, and the sustainability of the design.

Effective: Any range of scenarios and designs can be tested without a problem using HEAT. Decision-making is speeded up and projects are implemented quicker.

Realistic: Realistic simulations based on real data and smart mathematical models. 3D simulations of the city or neighbourhood that you and your partners wish to make greener.

KAREL
- is een rijdend podium voor INNOVATIEVE DENKERS en CULTUURMAKERS voor duurzame projecten
- rijdt op energie van de ZON en het net
- levert STROOM voor jouw evenement waar dan ook…
- rijdt in en rondom AMSTERDAM en in overleg ook (ver) daarbuiten
- is op verzoek te HUUR met festivaltent, tafels, banken, licht, geluid
- is rijdende RECLAME voor duurzaamheid én jouw evenement
- kan ook gebruikt worden als RUIMTE voor kantoor, kassa, café, dialoog en meer
- heeft een team beschikbaar voor PRODUCTIE van advies tot uitvoering
- biedt mensen een WERKERVARINGSPLEK
- meet 6 x 2 x 3 m, is een rustige heer in het verkeer en altijd SCHOON en opgeruimd

Missie KAREL
Projecten in de stad worden gefaciliteerd vanuit de grondgedachte van duurzaamheid en energie (energie is meer dan elektriciteit!). We willen letterlijk en figuurlijk mensen bewegen. Zo brengen we verandering op gang. KAREL levert een bijdrage aan maatschappelijke vragen op het gebied van duurzaamheid zicht- en bespreekbaar op een creatieve/culturele manier.
KAREL is en initiatief van Moving Arts Project.

KAREL staat voor KAR voor Elektriciteit op Locatie. KAREL is een stalen busje van het oerdegelijke Hollandse merk Spijkstaal dat al lang voordat het noodzaak werd elektrische wagens bouwde. Moving Arts Project bouwden hem om met zware moderne batterijen en met zonnepanelen op het dak zodat hij aan de moderne elektrische standaard voldoet en energie-neutraal is.
KAREL werkt als een inspirerend rolmodel. Hij is CO2 neutraal en verspreidt de boodschap van groen en duurzaam door de stad. En hij is vernieuwend: KAREL is een van de eerste in z’n soort in Amsterdam en levert stroom op elke gewenste locatie, vervoer, productiematerialen en meer aan bewonersinitiatieven, cultuur en maatschappelijke (buurt-)evenementen in de stad.

KAREL is een mobiele duurzame e-distributie unit en biedt een alternatief voor vervuilende dieselgeneratoren. En KAREL is stil, dus geen geluidsoverlast voor de bewoners rond het evenement, voor het publiek en de crew. KAREL heeft als standplaats culturele wijkonderneming Tugela85 aan de Tugelaweg in de Transvaalbuurt in Amsterdam Oost en kan hiervandaan in heel Amsterdam aan het werk om cultuur-maatschappelijke (buurt-)evenementen te voorzien van groene energie, productiematerialen, licht/geluid techniek en meer.

Meer weten of KAREL huren? Neem contact op via info@movingartsproject.nl of bel 0655335465

Together with schoolchildren in Amsterdam we create vertical forests by planting trees on balconies.

Please check our website: <https://www.urbanstreetforest.com/> for more information about our foundation.

Urban Street Forest at TEDxMaastricht:

Urban Street Forest | TEDxMaastricht

Urban Street Forest on the NOS national news:

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The app offers users a simple, yet effective way to manage their household waste more efficiently, as well as making sure the surrounding areas of their neighbourhood comply with waste management regulations too. Available on Google Play and Apple Store.

My Clean City App - How does it work?

My Clean City App - How To Report

Keep track of MyCleanCity through our:

Facebook: <http://bit.ly/2A6Hz4c>

Instagram: <http://bit.ly/2yPrLUV>

Twitter: <http://bit.ly/2AqPpsH>

Youtube Channel: <http://bit.ly/2j8LSVN>

Our Website: <http://bit.ly/2AoXaws>

The Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona is getting closer! Next week the Holland Pavilion will be filled with Dutch companies. One of them is the start-up RecyQ, working on the circular economy. We talked to Richard Severin.

How does RecyQ work?

Richard: ‘RecyQ makes more from waste by combining the hyperlocal bottom-up approach with technological possibilities. Our business is to get people to become more of waste problems and show them that waste separation is very useful. Together with our partners, amongst others the City of Amsterdam, we set up a zero waste platform for people in Amsterdam to separate waste more easily. People can separate paper, plastics, glass and textiles in our store or in containers. We measure the amount and in exchange people get a crypto token with which they can buy stuff in local stores. Besides that, we show people through our app how much CO2 they saved. We do not only make sure there is less waste, we also transform waste into new products. For local communities, we are closing the loop of raw materials.’

How do residents react?

‘The responses we get from citizens are very positive. People see the future of sustainability happening in their neighbourhoods. We show people how to contribute to a better world and tackle climate change hands on. It makes the circular economy more visible to residents. Of course, not everybody is willing to join us, but we focus on the people who are open to our ideas and care about the planet we leave behind to our children. They will tell their neighbours about it. This way we get a lot of positive attention! And of course it helps that people get a reward for separating waste, especially for those in a less fortune financial position.’

Do you have any plans to scale up?

‘Yes, it is very important to show other countries and cities the value case for combining waste separation and reusing materials with smart city technology! We were asked by a few parties to investigate whether our waste management and recycling project could work in the rest of the world as well. We already presented in New York City and at the Asian Development Bank. We are thinking of setting up feasibility studies for other cities. Then cities can choose which parts of our zero waste menu they want to take into development. In the Netherlands we already did such a study for Amsterdam Zuidoost, resulting in the venture Zero Waste Zuidoost and there are some opportunities in other Dutch cities. These are the bigger urban cities in the Netherlands because in the smaller areas the waste and recycling problem is not as big. The Netherlands ranks top 5 in Europe when it comes to waste separation, but bigger cities are not doing so well. Scaling up for us is also part of the reason why we are going to Barcelona!’

Want to meet Richard Severin in Barcelona? Join us at the Holland Pavilion in Hall 2!