Under the theme Smart Cities and Urban Planning, launched today, policymakers and public servants can read about what’s working around the world as well as connect with peers and innovators in the field.
LOS ANGELES - Today, Apolitical, supported by grant funding from the Bernard van Leer Foundation (BvLF) officially launched its ‘Smart Cities and Urban Planning global policy topic.’ The policy topic sits next to, and intersects with, other global policy topics such as Women’s Empowerment, Early Childhood, Innovative Public Partnerships, Data for Impact, and Inclusive Economies.
Apolitical’s unique platform, used by public servants in over 140 countries, connects public servants to the innovators behind the projects – breaking down institutional silos and facilitating engagement and collaboration.
The launch of the policy topic coincides with the National Association of City Transportation Officials’ Designing Cities Conference. The conference brings together 800 officials, planners, and practitioners to advance the state of transportation in cities in the United States and around the world.
“Our partnership with Apolitical is directly aligned with our foundation’s strategy" said Michael Feigelson, Executive Director of the Bernard van Leer Foundation. "The Smart Cities and Urban Planning policy topic works to advance best practice, innovation, and an evidence base to the people who have the most power to scale policy and programmes: government.”
“We hear from public servants and policymakers around the world about the need to connect with others who are working on solutions for the future of our cities, and to discover policy from a range of policy areas, such as women’s empowerment, transport and early childhood,” said Apolitical Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Lisa Witter. “Apolitical puts the best solutions and connections at the fingertips of public servants, wherever they are in the world.”
The Smart Cities and Urban Planning topic features case studies, analyses and opinion pieces on how ‘smart cities’ can harness connected technology, better design and innovative policy to become healthier, safer, richer and more equitable.
Apolitical’s Smart Cities and Urban Planning Editorial Board consists of:
- Abhay Adhikari, Digital Identities, Urban Sustainable Development Lab
- Paola Alfaro d’Alençon, Architect, Urban Research and Design Laboratory, Technische Universität Berlin
- Claudio Bernades, Chairman, Board of the Secretary of Urbanism, Municipality of São Paulo
- Dinah Bornat, Director, ZCD Architects & Mayor's Design Advocate, London
- Selva Gürdo?an, Co-Director, Studio-X, Istanbul
- Eva Kail, CEO, City of Vienna
- Sukanya Krishnamurthy, Assistant Professor, Urbanism and Urban Architecture, Eindhoven University
- Richard Liu, Regional Director, Southeast and East Asia, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
- Irene Quintáns, Founder, Red OCARA Network
- Wim Seghers, Operations Manager, City of Antwerp
- Emily Silverman, Lecturer, Hebrew University
As part of the launch, Apolitical has created a quiz. Take it to find out which city you should be the mayor of: https://apolitical.co/solution_article/quiz-which-city-should-you-be-mayor-of/
Sign-up for the Smart Cities and Urban Planning topic can be found here: http://apolitical.co/vip-signup/?ref=Cities
About Apolitical
Apolitical is the first global peer-to-peer platform for government, created to help public servants find the ideas, experts and partners they need to solve the hardest challenges facing our societies. With public service members from over 120 countries, Apolitical's partners include the World Bank, the World Economic Forum and Chatham House. Apolitical is backed by European Union innovation funding and mission-driven investors around the world. It was named one of the world’s 100 most disruptive companies in 2017 by Disrupt100.
