Global Resources and Promising Practices for Building and Refining Accessible and Inclusive Smart Cities from Darren Bates LLC.
It is difficult to summarise a three days conference that combined so many different contributions, views and discussions, but we would love to share some key impressions.In the High Tech Solutions session for example, Rodrigo Huebner Mendes who is paralysed from the neck down, shared his experience of driving a Formula 1 car with his mind. Dr. Christopher Lee, expert…
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Imagine this scene, 20 years from now: You wake up, open your window, and look out over your city. I can guess that it’s a fantastic place. Note that I said “fantastic,” not “smart.” From my own future-vision window of 2038, I see Rome. Its bi-millennial history is reflected in every stone. But this future Rome is also a city that…
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Accessibility is key when it comes to urban city planning. It’s only natural that combining physical and information infrastructure is at the heart of improving accessibility. Technology can help cities improve and become what are nowadays called smart cities. more The two factors that comprise accessibility are distance and mobility – people want to go to places, and they want them…
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For many persons with disabilities to make a choice, on for example where to shop, where to eat, where to hold a meeting, which vehicle to use, which airline to use, which product to buy and numerous other transactional scenarios, it boils down to pertinent issues of how such businesses or companies respect and support the rights of persons with disabilities. Successful…
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The Access City Award is the European prize for making cities more accessible to people with disabilities and older people. The city of Chester (UK) was awarded first prize in 2017 for its dedication in ensuring that the city and its beautiful medieval walls can be enjoyed by as many people as possible. Find out more good practices from the…
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When Maayan Ziv and her classmates wrapped up the first week of graduate school classes in Toronto, they wanted to celebrate. One of Ziv’s classmates suggested they all go to a bar in the area. Most of the group didn’t think twice. But because Ziv is in a wheelchair, she always needs to know if the place she’s going is…
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From pollution levels and the number of traffic accidents to safer public spaces and more efficient heating in buildings—to what extent can the smartness of a city be quantified? And is it possible to measure the quality of life for an urban area through numerical parameters? /4988204/Phys_Story_InText_Box It’s all about collecting data that is reliable and making sense of the…
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Innovation is one of the core drivers for advancement in accessibility for people with disabilities. The Chairman’s Awards for Advancement in Accessibility (Chairman’s AAA) is an FCC program recognizing products, services, standards and other innovative developments that improve the experience of people with disabilities in telecommunications and technology. The Chairman’s AAA celebrates outstanding private and public sector ventures as part…
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Earlier this spring, we looked at the role of the arts in Smart Cities. Our in depth investigation into how the arts are essential to creating and sustaining the cities of tomorrow centers on issues of modern city livability, urban branding and skilled workforce development. We also examine the role of individual arts organizations in urban education and look at…
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This paper is part of a series published by Data-Smart City Solutions, a project of the Ash Center at Harvard Kennedy School. The series explores data-related facets of civic engagement in today’s cities. Introduction Working toward inclusive governance takes a multi-stakeholder model. Government cannot – and should not – do it alone. It is not as simple as providing the…
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Cities are complex, networked and continuously changing social ecosystems, shaped and transformed through the interaction of different interests and ambitions. Ensuring employment, sustainable development, inclusion and quality of life are important concerns. Infrastructures of cities, addressing these concerns, comprise a diversity of services such as healthcare, energy, education, environmental management, transportation and mobility, public safety. Increasingly these services are enabled…
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The accessibility of air travel for people with physical disabilities has been slowly improving since 1986, when the Air Carrier Access Act was signed into law and eventually led to the implementation of regulations designed to ensure equal access in air travel. Over the past few years, airlines and airports have shown improved general awareness of the so-called “hidden” disabilities,…
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Seniors, strollers, suitcases — it’s not just disabled people who use accessible infrastructure. Policy-makers need to reframe and broaden the conversation. It’s been a long time coming, but the federal government is expected to unveil national accessibility laws this spring. Similar legislation in other jurisdictions, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, was passed back in 1990. The most visible…
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Can technology help? Can machines or apps make life easier for a person with a disability? And are these industries doing enough to make their products – and the world – accessible to all? Of course and here’s how Anyone who uses the London Underground will recognise the monotonous tone of the robotic voice that tells us all to “mind…
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Sidewalk-Toronto is excited to announce their public engagement plan, outlining a series of events, activities, and opportunities designed to get citizens involved in the co-creation of their Smart City. Check it out: http://bit.ly/2BPhy8T
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(Getty Images) Washington, D.C. local government has formed a new think tank to prepare for the rise of autonomous vehicles. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday that the city organized the “Autonomous Vehicle Working Group” to to plan for the emerging technology. The group is composed of city staff with experience in transportation, the environment, public safety and disability rights and has the…
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“In the future, cities will evolve from being ‘smart’ to being ‘responsive’, meaning that the citizens will move from the centre of attention to the centre of the action.” – Anne Stenros, Helsinki City’s Chief Design Officer. Way back in 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was starting the maiden tenure of his leadership, he had announced his government’s vision…
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People with disabilities make up 17.9% of the UK population, but are only represented by 0.06% of people featured in adverts, according to Lloyds’ ‘Reflecting Modern Britain?’ inclusion and diversity report. The study examined 1,340 TV and press adverts from 40 brands paid for by the top 20 advertising spenders in 2015. On the other side of the world, Marketing…
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“Special Needs” No, I don’t think so. I Don’t Need To Be Massaged By A Cat Ask yourself: what “special needs” does a person with Down syndrome really have? Check out http://www.notspecialneeds.com to discover a new perspective.
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Submissions are now open for the six-week Open Innovation Competition, with $20,000 cash and up to $40,000 of in-kind prizes up for grabs for winning solutions. Chair of the City of Melbourne’s Knowledge City portfolio and Deputy Chair of the People City Portfolio, Councillor Dr Jackie Watts, said that the Open Innovation Competition aims to cultivate tangible solutions to make…
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