It’s been an exciting 2 weeks of adventures for CHPC! Just after the launch of NYC’s adAPT pilot, CHPC participated in the City Protocol conference in Barcelona. From July 15-17, 2012, Senior Policy Analyst Sarah Watson visited Barcelona to represent New York alongside 150 leaders from governments, companies, and universities from 35 other global cities to discuss a new direction for city planning that brings together the public and private sectors.
The City Protocol is based on the premise that rapid advances in digital and broadband technology are reshaping our cities before our eyes, leading to a heightened need for a radical change in urban planning to be global in focus. The City of Barcelona, in partnership with Cisco and GDF Suez, planned the City Protocol conference to pave the way for a new program of standards,shared accountabilities, and global information sharing that will enable better understanding and cooperation among the different actors involved in the development of sustainable, efficient, cohesive, innovative, and smart cities.
The conference itself was intensive, with many fascinating presentations and rigorous break-out sessions. But the organizers managed to fit lots of sightseeing and networking events into the agenda including a guided tour of the Gothic part of the city and a reception in Barcelona’s magnificent City Council building.
