How IT helps create and shape a city
In 2011, several reports that highlights Stockholm from an IT perspective have been published. Several of the reports have been highlighted on this website, and during the fall two new reports were published by Stockholm IT Region member IBM and Ericsson.
In those reports, the development of Stockholm is discussed in two diverse ways: one report is about creative ways to generate ideas for a future Stockholm and the second report on how ICT actually affect cities and their inhabitants.
Stockholm – the modern city, a meeting between young citizens in Stockholm and the city’s decision makers
On the 11th of October 2011 IBM and the City of Stockholm initiated and organized the event Stockholm – the modern city. The event took place at the Stockholm City Hall and was attended by over 200 young locals as well as the city’s top policymakers. Stockholm – the modern city is a development of a chat that IBM, in cooperation with the City of Stockholm, planned and implemented in May 2011 with young people from across the country.
A report signed by the City of Stockholm and IBM highlights the aim of the event (the report is available in Swedish from here), which was a new form of dialogue with the citizens of Stockholm. The purpose was to let the locals open-mindedly think about, work with and talk about how they want Stockholm to be in the future. As Stockholm has an extensive population growth it requires new solutions in areas such as infrastructure, housing, education and health, and it was around these subjects creativity was flowing.
The event in the town hall was conducted in an open and creative way as the intention was that as many visions, dreams and ideas as possible should come up for the benefit of our future capital city. The ideas which the different teams created were presented to the juries who selected the fifteen best ideas. These fifteen creative suggestions on how Stockholm will be a growing, vibrant and interacting city was then presented to decision makers and leaders during the evening.
The Mayor of Stockholm, Mr. Sten Nordin, concluded the report, where he among other things, points out that there were many realistic ideas presented during the evening, many of which the city can continue to work on. For example the Mayor found the idea to let generations live close to each other; pre-schools, old people’s homes and residences in the same area, as a good proposal.
The report expresses a wish that the next step would be that decision makers within politics, industry and research will be able to look at the possibilities of realizing the best ideas. Hopefully, the event will have a ripple effect and perhaps the concept will be taken to other cities.
Stockholm IT Region will follow up on what may come of the project and report on any progress.
Stockholm – one of top three cities in Ericsson and Arthur D. Little’s latest Networked Society City Index
Stockholm is one of top three cities in Ericsson and Arthur D. Little’s latest Networked Society City Index. The index ranks 25 large cities in the world according to their ability to use ICT to benefit their citizens.
This is the second edition of Ericsson’s Society City Index and it shows that by large-scale investments in ICT the top three cities in the index; Seoul, Singapore and Stockholm, have succeeded in meeting many of their targets regarding environmental, social and economical aspects.
Among these top three cities, innovation in e-health and successfull management regarding traffic-congestion are mentioned as examples of how ICT can improve citizen’s lives.
London, New York, Paris, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing are also among the top 10 cities.
