City mayors, urban leaders and tech innovators to collaborate and explore connected technologies at dynamic city-centric conference

Geneva, 29 September 2011 – In a world where spiralling population growth is stretching urban infrastructures to near-breaking point, can technology solve the growing challenges facing city planners and improve the lives of urban dwellers?

The Digital Cities’11 Conference at ITU Telecom World 2011 (Geneva, Switzerland, 24-27 October) will focus on the trends shaping global city development, and ask city mayors, leading urban developers and experts in the provision of essential public services for their views on the opportunities and solutions offered by information and communications technologies (ICTs).

The conference, supported by Alcatel-Lucent, will focus on how the public and private sectors can come together to design and develop the next generation of urban living. Participants will also address connected urban development and how next-generation networks can enhance socio-economic development, increase the health and well-being of urban citizens and enable environmental sustainability.

Panel discussions and workshops will include mayors from the world’s major cities, together with digital innovators, utility experts, industry CEOs and city planning and transport specialists. Top-level speakers and participants include: Gabrielle Gauthey, EVP, Public Affairs, Alcatel-Lucent; Kim Seang-tae, President, National Information Society Agency, Advisor to the President of Korea; Wim Elfrink, Chief Globalization Officer, Cisco; Suvi Linden, former Minister of Communications, Finland and Special Envoy to the Broadband Commission for Digital Development; Peter Pitsch, Director Communications Policy, Intel Corporation; and Juan Sabines Guerrero, Governor of Chiapas.

“Our planet will soon be home to seven billion people. As cities demand more and more from our industry and city dwellers account for half of the world’s population, the time is right for a dedicated conference within the ITU Telecom World event that drives high-level debate and generates key insights into the connected and digital future of urban life,” said ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun Touré.

“The Digital Cities Conference is specifically designed to be the focal point for informed and defining debate on the future of urban digital development,” commented Ben Verwaayen, CEO, Alcatel-Lucent, “Given the pace at which people are embracing digital life, it is becoming ever more crucial that the industry connects and integrates city infrastructure and services with technologies that will help ensure the sustainability of cities, and improve life, work and well-being for their residents.”

Highlights of the Digital Cities’11 Conference include plenary sessions examining areas such as:
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collaboration in fostering sustainable, next-generation city life, and the need for cities to embrace new urban design, strong metropolitan governance, and innovative infrastructure investment models.

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the best ways to optimise resources smartly, to increase quality of life for citizens. How can citizens become better involved in designing and scoping out the future of their own digital cities?


Plenary debates will be followed by quickfire pitches, enabling hands-on highly interactive discussion on topics such as:
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Economics of Sustainable Cities

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Best Broadband Strategies

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Work-Life Innovations

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Public Health and Safety in a Digital City

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Embedded City Design and Networked Information

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Sustainable Cities


Hands-on workshops will also look at ways forward in shaping the cities of the near future, with outcomes clearly framed into actionable items, helping participants highlight the path to the future and challenging stakeholders to rethink near-future strategies on urban development.

For more information on ITU Telecom World 2011, visit http://world2011.itu.int.

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