Global Resources and Promising Practices for Building and Refining Accessible and Inclusive Smart Cities from Darren Bates LLC.
Inclusion: Acknowledging and valuing people’s differences to enrich social planning, decision-making, and quality of life for everyone.
In an inclusive Smart City all residents have a sense of belonging, acceptance, and are recognized as valued and contributing members of society with a representative voice in governance.
An inclusive Smart City values all people and equitably meets the needs of all residents—including historically underserved and marginalized populations, e.g., people with disabilities, people who are aging. Real inclusion takes place when those already included in the “mainstream” learn from those who are excluded and initiate change.
One of the most important aspects that influence the
livability of cities is the capacity to be an inclusive city
that people can and want to call “Home.
___________________________________________________
The reality of driverlerss cars on UK roads is closer than you might think. The technology required for cars to drive themselves in simple scenarios has already been used. Self-parking, lane-centering, adaptive cruise control and automatic braking are already common features of mid-priced vehicles. But most of the barriers to adoption are down to people’s perceptions of how autonomous digital…
Read More
Getting along a footpath isn’t always easy especially when some people act either illegally, or without thought for others. Make Way Day in Ireland is creating awareness of the common footpath obstructions that people with disability and pram pushers face every day. On Make Way Day volunteers put “Make Way Day” stickers on the obstacles in their path of travel.…
Read More
Source: These 68 Companies Score High When It Comes to Disability Inclusion | Easterseals Blog
Read More
Dubai is making a lot of changes by 2020. The city will host the World Expo that year, and to gear up for the international event, Dubai has been working on a state-of-the-art expo site called District 2020. Once the expo is over, it will be used as residential and commercial space.It’s not only District 2020 that’s gearing up for…
Read More
This word ‘smart’ is mentioned in reference to cities a lot. There are endless conferences and trade fairs exploring ‘smart cities’ or ‘Internet of things’ technologies. Most cities now have tech weeks – and the term is now so regarded that it’s often capitalised as ‘SMART’. But spending time in this world, hearing from the many mayors at the many…
Read More
New Urban Agenda Making cities accessible and inclusive for all people, including persons with disabilities, is an essential component of the New Urban Agenda, adopted at the recent Habitat III Conference in Quito, Ecuador on October 17-20. Why? Because 15 percent of the world population live with some form of disability. If the New Urban Agenda is going to successfully…
Read More
Access and inclusion in the built environment: policy and guidance – as exemplified by London approach. The need to address inclusive design from concept stage onwards is embedded in the planning process within London far more so than many other parts of the country. The key areas for consideration for designers are: The London Plan. The Equality Act 2010. The Building Regulations. The Principles of Inclusive Design. The…
Read More
Accessible Smart Cities Initiative By Panagiotis Tsarchopoulos on 6 February 2017. Posted in Intelligent Cities / Smart CitiesG3ict – the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies – and World Enabled teamed up to create the Defining Accessible Smart Cities Initiative.Sponsored by Microsoft, the initiative’s goal is to increase awareness of the role that accessible technology must play in…
Read More
Designing an inclusive LIVING LAB: challenges, experimentation, and a toolkit. December 2016 By Lara Casciola When developing urban spaces toward a ‘smart city’ goal, it is important to include the viewpoints of a diverse range of urban stakeholders. Equally important, however, is getting something back; the value diverse stakeholders can provide to developing new urban technology should be identified, nurtured,…
Read More
What is it like to grow old in a city? That depends on a lot of things: health, wealth, friends, family, etc. But it also depends on the physical and technical infrastructure available. Unfortunately, many cities lack a proper infrastructure for the mobility-impaired, and many of the mobility technologies in use haven’t been updated in decades.Quality of life can be…
Read More
Cities are great places for young people, but they’re also wonderful places to spend your entire life. In fact, more and more people are staying in cities for good, and enjoying their retirement in a vibrant atmosphere. As a result, cities are taking senior-friendliness seriously. They need to provide residents with bright prospects that stretch well into the golden years.Worldwide,…
Read More
Smart cities in focus: enabling individuals and communities to improve their lives. Demands on cities are increasing everywhere. We believe that the time of ‘smart cities’ being thought of in terms of infrastructure and technology has passed. Rather than asking “what systems should be built, using what technology, to create sustainable urban environments?”, we should be engaging directly with all…
Read More
These aren’t pipe dreams. They are smart city products and services in action — aspiring to use technology to put people first. And the sooner we can realize these aspirations, the better. In the top 100 metropolitan areas of the United States, nearly 25% of citizens are over the age of 65 or living with disabilities. The internet of…
Read More
Hear what members of our community want in an age-friendly community. Affordable housing and transportation, access to health care and social activities, respect and much more. Thank you to Boston Neighborhood Network, Ethos and Massachusetts Senior Action Council for their help in producing this video. This video was produced by In the Car. http://www.inthecarmedia.com/ Barrier-free connectivity for social inclusion The…
Read More
Smart Cities for All: A Vision for an Inclusive, Accessible Urban Future The purpose of this paper is to highlight the potential for smart city technology to enable benefits for people who are aging and people who are living with disabilities, and to indicate suggested practices for building more inclusive smart cities. …
Read More
Imagine a city where a person in a wheelchair can chart a route to the local park using curb cuts and avoiding barriers. She can then connect to the park’s Wi-Fi, receive upcoming events notifications, and take e-lessons about the trees and flowers in bloom. These aren’t pipe dreams. They are smart city solutions in action – aspiring to use…
Read More
Bendigo businesses were slowly becoming more accessible for people with disabilities, but the lack of incentive and the sheer cost of the necessary changes was problematic, a local advocate says. Chairperson of the City of Greater Bendigo Disability Inclusion Reference Committee, Sara McQueenie, said local infrastructure was changing for the better, however changing perceptions was of equal importance.“Business don’t see us as part…
Read MoreImagine a city where a person in a wheelchair can chart a route to the local park using curb cuts and avoiding barriers. She can then connect to the park’s Wi-Fi, receive upcoming events notifications, and take e-lessons about the trees and flowers in bloom. These aren’t pipe dreams. They are smart city solutions in action – aspiring to use…
Read More
Diversity & Inclusion Reports When you read through this Diversity & Inclusion Annual Report, it is clear why AT&T is consistently listed as a top company for diversity. Our incredible accomplishments show just how much our employees live and breathe our commitment to a … licy Forum
Read More
The Australian government recently released an ambitious Smart Cities Plan, which suggests that cities should be first and foremost for people: If our cities are to continue to meet their residents’ needs, it is essential for people to engage and participate in planning and policy decisions that have an impact on their lives. Source: While governments talk about smart…
Read More