Local government representatives from all over Poland met in Wroclaw. The 18th Smart City Forum has been launched

Smart City Forum is one of the most important meetings of Polish city mayors, representatives of local government administration and presidents and executives of companies providing solutions for smart cities. During this event, they will analyze current strategies, activities and trends in the operation and development of smart cities.

An event that shapes the future of cities

According to Jakub Mazur, Deputy Mayor of Wroclaw, this is one of those events that shapes the future and allows us to plan it based on technology and the best solutions to create places where people live better and better.

This forum has a very broad spectrum in its dimension, ideas and bearing. We are going for specific instruments, legal solutions, which are extremely important in the good development of the city. We also care about technological solutions that will save us time, money and human resources.

Jakub Mazur

According to Magdalena Okulowska, president of the Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency, the Smart City Forum already has a very long tradition in Wroclaw.

We are very happy to host this event here once again. Cooperation between technology and the city, implementation of smart solutions is a very important issue. It improves the quality of life, makes cities more modern and friendly to residents, tourists and business.

Magdalena Okulowska

They talk about city planning

The congress was inaugurated by a debate on planning the future of cities - a perspective on digital challenges for local governments until 2030, building communication with Generation Z, supporting students in modern forms of education and housing policy for the young.

A zero-emission urban mobility strategy is also one of the topics of today's meeting. Experts will comment, among other things, on the goals and priorities in electromobility until 2030, the process of building a Low Emission Zone, multimodality in urban transportation with the inclusion of aspects of individual transportation, systems using AI to monitor and manage traffic, as well as parking policies in cities and cashless mobility and city services. Practical solutions in mobility that have been implemented in Polish cities will also be presented.

To make residents' lives better

An important topic of the 18th edition of the Forum will also be ensuring clean cities for residents. Speakers will talk about ESG strategies in cities, green transformation, improving air quality, recycling in urban planning, plans for a closed-loop economy, landscape resolutions, creating efficient transportation systems after climate damage, and the role of digitization and technology in protecting biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems, among other topics.

Day one of the congress will conclude with a segment on the use of data in the city and the hyperpersonalization of housing and the adaptation of urban services. There will be issues such as collecting, analyzing and using data for decision-making, using it to improve the quality of life of residents, as well as studying the needs of residents and personalizing city services.

Dialogue for better urban living

According to Monika Nowak, director of MMC Poland's strategic projects department and coordinator of the project, the goal of the Smart City Forum is to integrate local governments and build a platform for dialogue between them and technology companies and business so that cities and residents benefit from the development of technologies that support the comfort of living in cities.

For two days we will talk both about data, artificial intelligence, but also about education, infrastructure challenges, mobility and all those issues that are key to the effective development of Polish cities.

Monika Nowak

To make the city run more efficiently and economically

On the other hand, the second day of the Smart City Forum will talk about urban investments. Experts will also talk about the possibilities of counteracting the economic crisis in cities and the slowdown in the economy and breakthrough technologies, as well as maintaining the continuity of projects such as "We light up Poland."

The event's participants will also learn about examples of cities that have succeeded in developing smart solutions. The case studies session will feature topics related to the use of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) to optimize infrastructure, improve energy management in cities, and strengthen public safety through monitoring and hazard identification.

Innovations in waste management and energy and urban savings with rising energy costs will also be discussed. Strategies for integrating e-government services and systems for simplifying administrative processes, improving online payment services, and using city portals for effective communication with residents will also be discussed. Topics also included the potential of electronic citizen cards and methods for ensuring the cyber security of residents' data and government systems.

Will artificial intelligence help create cities?

According to Jakub Mazur, just five years ago, the idea of the event was focused on technologies and experiments that were already appearing in our homes and public spaces.

Nowadays, we are already talking about a certain idea, a shift from technology to humanocentrism, i.e. putting people and their needs in the most important place. I hope that in five years' time, the participation of artificial intelligence under ethical control will help us create better cities.

Jakub Mazur