Around 60 participants gathered in Kensington Town Hall on an overcast Saturday morning for the first ever "˜Smartathon', a meeting to gather residents' input on the upcoming smarticipate platform. The aim was to allow residents to voice concerns and to help shape the final tool. The event was held in the context of the EU-funded smarticipate project. The meeting saw spirited debate, with a range of questions, criticisms, concerns and congratulations directed from the floor at those presenting the tool.

Residents asked pointed questions about the use of open data, citing safety and privacy issues. The smarticipate team was pleased to hear such engaged and astute debate, and will take the concerns raised on board when designing the final product. After an introduction from Paul McDonald, information services strategist with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Andries Geerse from smarticipate partner WeLoveTheCities presented a fictional "˜urban story' for London in which residents use the smarticipate platform to develop a football field. This urban story gave participants a better idea of the platform's capabilities.

After this, residents broke into smaller groups to discuss the platform and to look at the specifics of the urban story scenario. Each group was situated at a table, with each table assigned a leader. At the end of the day, the table leaders stood up and presented the outcomes of the discussion. Many of those with serious reservations about the platform had a more positive view of smarticipate by the end of the session.

For more information, visit the smarticipate website.Image copyright: Image (ICLEI) by "Joseph Marshment-Howell" more   19 September 2016 EUROPEAN MOBILITY WEEK 2016 kicks off across the continentThe European Commission launched the 15th annual EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK on Friday, with activities taking place across Europe from 16 to 22 September. Over 2300 cities and towns from 50 countries are taking part. The theme of this year is 'Smart and sustainable mobility "“ an investment for Europe'. The main aim is to promote awareness of the economic benefits of investing in safe, clean transport for people and companies. Making energy and transport more affordable and sustainable is also one of the priorities of the Juncker Commission. Action in cities is particularly important as urban transport is responsible for 23 percent of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions.

As in previous years, local authorities and individuals across the continent are encouraged to think about what they can do locally, to make an impact globally. Speaking at the launch of EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2016, Violeta Bulc, European Commissioner for Transport said: "This week is about getting individuals and local authorities big and small on board. We are moving towards smart mobility by integrating technology into transport. Smart mobility can reduce traffic jams in European cities and help cut the €100 billion congestion price-tag, making our cities more liveable!"

Getting out of the car and walking, cycling or taking the bus can have benefits such as improving our health. But research shows that smarter mobility can also make the public finances healthier. The culmination of EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK is the Car-Free Day, during which designated areas of towns and cities are closed to car traffic and open only for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport.

To read the full article, click here.Image copyright: Image (Radlobby Steyregg) by "Franz Hackl" more

» Publication Date: 20/09/2016

» Source: Iclei Europe

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