For five days between the 20-24 June 2018, the City of Amsterdam hosted one of the largest urban festivals in Europe. WeMakeThe.City was dedicated to a more collaborative and connected approach to ‘making cities better’ featuring 600 speakers and 30,000 participants over five days. Urbanist and researcher Namita Kambli was a roving reporter for IRIS on site.
On June 27th and 28th, the 7th edition of Innovative City took place in Nice, with the thematic "Innovation for better life & smart business".
Metropolitan council gives green light to creation and operation of a heating and cooling network to serve Nice Méridia. It will be the first geothermal network of the Nice Côte d'Azur Metropolis, distributing more than 30 GWh to heat and cooling to the entire neighborhood with 80% renewables. Another first: the creation in parallel of a multi-energy smart grid offer, accompanying the energy optimisation of the eco-district. The developments part of Nice Côte d'Azur goal to reach a 32% share of renewables in its energy mix by 2030.
Three of HSB's regional associations are now initiating collaboration with Metry for automated data storage of the energy consumption in their buildings. It is intended to lead to better decision-making and analysis for energy efficiency measures among tenant-owner associations.
A new podcast on urban issues in energy, mobility and ICT began recently and it kicked off with an issue dear to IRIS Smart Cities – vehicle to grid technology for electric cars.
In IRIS Smart Cities flagship, Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur is proving essential to developing a string of near zero energy districts using the latest in smart grids, energy management and storage, data sensors and renewables – amongst other tech – generating a great deal of international interest from actors wishing to learn and replicate such initiatives around Europe and beyond.
EU Green Week 2018 held its official opening on 21 May in IRIS lighthouse city Utrecht with Mayor Jan van Zanen stating “We are ready to inspire and be inspired by cities around Europe and the World”.
May has been extra IRIS here in Gothenburg; with partners on stage and spreading the word of sustainable change and co-creation in many various situations and contexts. Katarina Nordstöm reports.
On Wednesday 23 May Utrecht witnessed a European first: 20 full electric vehicles got charged with solar power – simultaneously and after sunset. The event took place at the parking lot of the Jaarbeurs. The Utrecht mayor Jan van Zanen was present, together with the Secretary of State Mona Keijzer (Economic Affairs and Climate). Both spoke approvingly, as the surrounding press and visitors got a peak at the energy system of the future.
Since their inception in the 1990s, smart cities have only increased in popularity with the market expected to touch the $2 trillion mark by 2025. Smart city solutions are in part driven by factors such as increased urbanisation and climate change. While there is no doubt that ‘smartness’ fosters efficient cities, in his book Leading the inclusive city, Hambleton argues there is scant evidence to prove this very smartness is also building more inclusive cities.