What makes a city smart, is the degree and quality of human connections and social cohesion that individuals feel. The Artificial Intelligence fueled transition toward smart cities and network societies has tremendous impact on the future of humanity. The current narrative of smart cities and data enabled urban systems completely leaves out the components of human experience, feelings, emotions and real human relationships. However, cities are about people and networks. Smart cities should also be about sustainability, resilience and inclusivity.

This manifesto for the future design of smart cities explores the existing ethos of practice of smart cities around the world. Combining Eastern philosophies of change and Western analytical scientific lens and with the notion of the Internet of People and the Internet of We, in parallel to the utilitarian Internet of Things, Dr. Shima Beigi calls for a paradigm shift in this rapidly growing area of smart cities.

PROGRAMME:

15:00-15:30	Introduction by Shima Beigi
15:30-15:45	Artistic performance by Stephen Spender, singer-songwriter-actor
15:30-16:30	Experts Panel Discussion Harry Halpin, CEO Nym Technologies Victoria Lee, urban development strategist, fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts Pieter Ballon, director SMIT-VUB, holder Chair on Smart Cities (VUB) Dan Mapes, author of The Spatial Web, founder of Verses Labs
16:45-17:00	Q & A Session