On 29 May 2018, smarticipate concluded its Stakeholder Dialogue series with the fifth and final event, titled “Are you making the most of how smart your citizens are?”, in Brussels (Belgium). Each of the events targeted a particular group relevant for the replication of the project’s outcomes.
This event, co-organised by ICLEI and the University of the West of England (UWE), targeted European policy-makers and brought together a group of around 40 participants, ranging from city planners to researchers.
Following a welcome and brief introduction from the event’s host, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, and the smarticipate team, participants were shown insightful presentations and engaged in panel and roundtable discussions. These activities provided first-hand accounts of the role of digital tools and platforms in transforming local governance, as well as insights from leading initiatives that are supporting the transition to smarter, inclusive, and more sustainable cities, such as JPI Urban Europe, EIP Smart Cities & Communities, and the EU Urban Agenda Digital Transition Partnership.
Much like the previous four events, the Brussels workshop provided participants with a first-hand account of the applications and processes developed in the smarticipate pilot cities of Hamburg, Rome and London. Participants further had the opportunity to test the Hamburg tree-planting application, exploring the different options for planting new trees in public spaces.
Following these activities, the smarticipate team received an abundance of new ideas and insights into how to further develop the smarticipate platform.
The first Stakeholder Dialogue took place in Portland, Oregon (USA) on 26 October 2017 and addressed local governments and planning experts. The second was hosted in Hamburg (Germany) on 10 November 2017 and saw interaction with other EU-funded projects. The third occurred in Rome (Italy) later that month on 24 November and addressed city officials. The fourth event was hosted in London (UK) on 19 January of this year and was focused on the role of Smart Implementers.