Past Event

Dawn of the Smart City? Perspectives From New York, Ahmedabad, São Paulo, and Beijing (Report Launch)

Rapid growth and environmental change are creating new challenges for urban areas around the world. By 2050, as many as 7 out of 10 people on Earth will live in cities, with the vast majority of growth occurring in today’s developing countries

From climate change adaptation and crime prevention to the integration of new residents, much is being asked of municipal governments. At the same time, new technologies – from data collection and real-time monitoring to sophisticated “control centers” – are being developed that could transform urban decision-making and city management. Led by a cadre of information technology companies, the use of such technologies to help cities adapt to 21st-century challenges is called “smart cities.”

As part of a special collaboration between programs at the Wilson Center, we recently asked experts from New York, São Paulo, Beijing, and Ahmedabad about the ideas behind smart cities and the challenges their respective countries face.

CLICK HERE FOR THE REPORT

Picture courtesy of flickr user Julio Boaro.

Speakers

Hosted By

Brazil Institute

The Brazil Institute—the only country-specific policy institution focused on Brazil in Washington—aims to deepen understanding of Brazil’s complex landscape and strengthen relations between Brazilian and US institutions across all sectors.    Read more

Brazil Institute

China Environment Forum

Since 1997, the China Environment Forum's mission has been to forge US-China cooperation on energy, environment, and sustainable development challenges. We play a unique nonpartisan role in creating multi-stakeholder dialogues around these issues.   Read more

China Environment Forum

Environmental Change and Security Program

The Environmental Change and Security Program (ECSP) explores the connections between environmental change, health, and population dynamics and their links to conflict, human insecurity, and foreign policy.   Read more

Environmental Change and Security Program

Urban Sustainability Laboratory

Since 1991, the Urban Sustainability Laboratory has advanced solutions to urban challenges—such as poverty, exclusion, insecurity, and environmental degradation—by promoting evidence-based research to support sustainable, equitable and peaceful cities.   Read more

Urban Sustainability Laboratory