On June 18th 2024, Kaohsiung Vice Mayor Charles Lin was invited to represent the Kaohsiung City Government to attend the 2nd Quarter 2024 Regular National Executive Board Meeting of the Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines (VMLP) in Manila. He delivered a keynote speech entitled “People-Oriented Smart Cities: The Experience of Kaohsiung City,” highlighting Kaohsiung’s recent efforts and successes in developing a smart city and urban transformation. During the event, he exchanged insights on urban governance with Taguig City Vice Mayor Arvin Ian V. Alit, Malabon City Vice Mayor Ninong C. Dela Cruz, San Mariano-Isabela Vice Mayor Dean Anthony G. Domalanta, and 372 other vice mayor representatives from across the Philippines.
Vice Mayor Lin was invited to this Regular National Executive Board Meeting by the Center for Local and Regional Governance (CLRG) at the University of the Philippines’ National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG) and the VMLP. He was the first Taiwanese representative invited to speak at this Meeting, delivering a 90-minute presentation on smart cities, net-zero emissions, and urban governance. He discussed how cities can successfully promote digital and smart transformation, enhancing the knowledge and implementation abilities of government officials.
Kaohsiung’s geographical and climatic conditions are similar to those of the Philippines, and both nations face similar challenges in urban governance. Lin explained how smart transformation can improve governance efficiency and address municipal issues. By integrating technology into public services, the government can achieve “do more with less,” enhancing public service quality and efficiency for citizens. Kaohsiung’s successes in traffic management, smart agriculture, water management, reclaimed water, and healthcare impressed the attending city representatives, who expressed high interest in establishing closer relationships and visiting Kaohsiung.
In his sharing on net-zero initiatives and urban governance, Lin focused on making Kaohsiung efficient and livable. Lin used slides to share examples like solar panel installations, the light rail circle, the undergrounding of Kaohsiung Train Station, the preservation of the old station, Love River remediation, the transformation of the Kaohsiung Railway Workshop, signature parks, social housing, and harbor area redevelopment. Many vice mayors on the scene took photos of Kaohsiung’s achievements on their phones during the speech and exchanged views with Lin on topics such as light rail, Kaohsiung Station experiences, and rapid solar panel deployment and so on. The participants shared that these cases inspired them to develop more smart strategies on city governance in the future.
During the Q&A session, participants inquired about how Kaohsiung enables citizens to engage in agriculture smartly and conveniently, as well as how various modes of vehicles are integrated into single interface and provide users with real-time, intelligent transportation information. Several cities also expressed their desire to visit Kaohsiung and learn from its experience to accelerate their own urban transformation. After the speech, Vice Mayor Lin was interviewed by the Philippine media SMNI, and it gave a positive feedback on Lin’s informative and inspiring speech. It is believed that Lin’s presentation will bring a significant impact on many Philippine cities and benefit future exchanges between the cities of the two nations.
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Quelle/Source: Journal Online, 20.06.2024
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