Track: Living & Inclusion

Smart cities can have a tremendous positive impact on people’s lives, but only when people are at the centre of the development process. The panel ‘Centering People in Smart Cities’ will discuss how smart cities are engaging deeply with the needs of all residents and urban stakeholders through meaningful community participation, bridging the digital divide, developing essential digital infrastructure and governance frameworks, and building capacity through multi-stakeholder partnerships.

Join this UK Government hosted session to explore how UK entrepreneurs are leveraging data to bridge gaps, enhance accessibility, and empower communities. Gain insights, practical guidance, and ethical considerations for creating inclusive societies through data-driven strategies.Speakers: Mark Martin, UK Black Tech; Priya Guliani, EarthID; Tanuvi Ethunandan, Data Dupoly; Alejandro Quinto, Yeme Tech; Karen Burns, Fyma; Sam Chapman, The Floow.

The session will focus on best practices and share learnings from current urban initiatives focusing on the implementation of sustainable proximities. It will showcase a series of global interactive tools to put proximity into practice and give an introduction to a new digital proximity toolbox.

Buildings generate 40% of annual global carbon emissions. How can cities work with industry to deliver net zero roadmaps while still meeting demand for increased housing, urban services and infrastructure? Hear from city, industry and NGO leaders on the policies, partnerships and solutions which have begun to move the needle on this global issue.

Urban spaces must ensure equal access to opportunities and resources, but systemic inequalities marginalize vulnerable populations, depriving them of core services. An intersectional approach is crucial to address issues as social exclusion, gender inequality or the digital divide. How can leaders and stakeholders address the diverse needs of communities as the first step towards inclusive, equitable, and sustainable cities for all?

Tools and policies implemented by cities to promote equality and citizen participation on critical urban challenges.

This session will showcase two delegation heads from Brazil, and Jordan through a moderated dialogue on their smart city journey so far and ambitions going forward.

Uncover practical tips to be an effective ally to women entrepreneurs and foster an inclusive environment for their success. We will share strategies to empower investors, entrepreneurs, and accelerator leaders to support women and dismantle biases in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Join us for a more equitable and prosperous future.

Urban policy does not usually include time use as a key factor, and yet cities are constantly trying to influence it. By adding new and faster mobility routes, providing childcare that saves time to caregivers, or applying the famous 15-minute city concept which connects time and space, cities change the everyday life of their citizens. Time policies allow cities to innovate by placing time at the centre of the urban agenda.

How are communities reshaping urban landscapes? Cities are adopting collaborative governance models, such as participatory budgeting and co-creation initiatives, to enhance citizen engagement. This involvement in policymaking and city-building holds transformative potential, essential for creating inclusive, sustainable, and responsive urban environments.

In a time characterized by rapid technological advancements and interconnected global challenges, reshaping urban governance has never been more pressing. As the epicentres economic activity and growth, innovative governance has a pivotal role to play in effecting positive change, enhancing transparency, and accountability. What successful strategies are being used by decision-makers to foster collaborative, future-oriented cities?

The concept of accessible cities has often been linked to physical accessibility, but user needs are wider. Information and communication accessibility are key to leave nobody behind, regardless of age, language or capabilities. AccessCat research groups offer solutions to overcome accessibility challenges in smart cities, and in the metaverse.

Un encuentro cargado de conocimiento, experiencias y networking, en busca de soluciones pragmáticas para evolucionar hacia estándares climáticos que garanticen bienestar a nuestras comunidades.

This session aims to provide an overview of how PEARL (UCL's Person-Environment-Activity Research Lab) can help cities to understand person-environment interactions through its unique ability to simulate urban environments at 1-1 scale. This includes the ability to control its lighting, acoustic, physical and smell attributes so that we can better understand how these different features might affect diverse urban populations in any given project. We will demonstrate how we have improved a variety of urban projects thus far which have focused on the impact of different environmental stimuli on various user groups. We will invite participants to bring their own urban issues and project ideas to the table. Together, we will explore how we might address these issues or test ideas at PEARL.

For more information and to register, please visit https://www.pearl.place/post/how-life-sized-environmental-simulation-can-hel Conference Center | Zone: CC1 – Room 1.3