The Kuching Declaration 2030 Session provided a comprehensive look on smart city investment and development, offering a blueprint for a sustainable and innovation-driven urban future.
The session, themed ‘Attracting Investments for Smart Cities with Bankable Projects’, was moderated by Smart Cities Network & Smart Cities Council (ASEAN) chairman Tay Kok Chin and had five speakers sharing their expertise on vital facets of smart city development.
Delos Delta General Manager Anna Wilson from Australia shared her expertise in identifying high-value investments and bankable projects in smart cities, emphasising effective communication and steadfast commitment for successful business partnerships.
“No one will invest if you are not able to communicate and ensure that people are aware of what you’re doing. We often forget that promoting ourselves can be the simplest form of being able to signal our commitment and our potential for this commitment to a direction to transparency, to budget allocation. It really helps an organisation to demonstrate that they are capable partners,” she said.
“For example, the New South Wales state government exemplifies their Smart City commitment through an impactful grant programme. They created an evaluation tool to measure impact and support communication efforts, illustrated by the smart irrigation project in Sydney Olympic Park.
“This initiative addresses high temperature’s adverse effects, enabling better community engagement. The government employs both quantitative and qualitative analysis to showcase the project’s impact and seek further investment for scaling up,” she said.
DLR Group Senior Consultant and Senior International Planning Leader Dr Giancarlo Mangone from the United States advocated for integrated systems in smart cities for effective governance by emphasising proactive disaster management and sustainable planning to build public trust, as well as highlighting the importance of valuing land for its societal contributions, as demonstrated by Copanhagen’s metro system funding.
“In Copenhagen, public lands with unknown value were strategically utilised. They identified land ownership and leveraged it to fund their metro system’s development. They engaged developers, asking them to invest in the land, transforming it from vacant to a thriving hub of livability and economy.
“This approach reduced overall development costs and allowed for strategic placement of transit stops. The private sector’s investment led to highly successful transit systems, boasting some of the world’s highest ridership rates and notably reduced traffic congestion,” he said.
Meanwhile, Illigan City mayor Frederick W Siao from the Philippines advocated for innovation districts as catalysts for economic growth, particularly in agriculture and manufacturing, promoting social inclusion and community development.
He also shared insights into the smart city and innovation initiatives in the Philippines, specifically Cebu, with a focus on becoming a smart and sustainable city through initiatives like digital freelance work and membership in the Unesco Creative Cities Network.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Kedung B Kapong
Quelle/Source: The Borneo Post, 07.10.2023
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