Co-author of “Seizing Our Destiny” outlines strategies to future-proof communities in the new broadband-based economy

Toronto ON – Smart Cities Summit January 23-24, 2013 – At the first-ever Canadian Smart Cities Summit, Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) Chairman and co-founder John Jung has a key message – companies and jobs go where the talent is. “Cities that have strategies to include talent generation and retention have the most success at attracting investment and new jobs,” says Jung. Jung is the conference kick-off speaker on Wednesday, Jan. 23. He will outline the 12 steps cities must take to future-proof themselves in the broadband-based economy. The Intelligent Community Forum studies the world’s cities to discover and then share the strategies used to create an Intelligent Community.

Jung, who lives in Waterloo, says Toronto is the perfect community to host the summit. First selected as an Intelligent Community in 2005, the Waterfront Toronto project has again propelled Toronto to the elite ranks of the world’s intelligent communities. In October, Toronto was named to ICF’s 2013 list of Smart21 communities. It is now in contention for the Top7 and the Intelligent Community of the Year award. The Waterfront project creates Canada’s first open-access ultra-high speed broadband community network that is 500 times faster than typical North American residential networks. This will transform how residents and businesses in these areas will use telecommunications services and create a new sustainable hub of innovation and stimulate enduring economic growth for Toronto.

Toronto joins Kingston, Stratford, and Winnipeg as the four Canadian cities on the ICF’s 2013 Smart21 list of communities. Tomorrow, January 23, ICF will cut that list down to the Top7 in the race to find the world’s Intelligent Community of the Year.

Jung is co-author of a new book along with ICF colleagues Robert Bell and Louis Zacharilla. Seizing Our Destiny was released in October 2012 and profiles the Top7 Intelligent Communities of 2012. “There are lessons for every community, techniques and strategies that can help a community be more competitive,” says Jung. The book reveals a broad range of actions that can stimulate an economy, for example a ten percent growth in broadband penetration adds one to three percent to a country’s gross domestic product, or how 80 per cent of GDP growth comes from the introduction of new technology. “Communities need to work on the complete package and include everything from quality of life to culture, education and innovation. At ICF we help cities to do that with research, information and education services that can help energize and accelerate a community into the new economy. Becoming an Intelligent Community means those communities are more likely to create good jobs and attract significant investment,” says Jung.

Community leaders from across Canada are attending the Smart Cities Summit at the Metropolitan Hotel. Other speakers include representatives from Waterloo, Stratford and Moncton, all communities designated as an ICF Intelligent Community. This is the first Canadian conference to comprehensively tackle the idea of smart governance, intelligent communities and technological innovations as a means to enhance service delivery, city planning, development and design.

On Thursday morning at the Summit, Jung reviews the Top7 ICF communities for 2013, following the official announcement by ICF Co-Founder Louis Zacharilla on Wednesday at the Pacific Telecommunications Council conference. Jung will then receive the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal recognizing his vision and drive to develop the Intelligent Community Forum – the idea heard around the world.

About Intelligent Community Forum

The Intelligent Community Forum seeks to share the best practices of the world's Intelligent Communities in adapting to the demands of what it calls “the Broadband Economy” by conducting research, hosting events, publishing books and newsletters and producing its high profile international awards program. ICF’s mission to make “place” align with prosperity has drawn the attention of global leaders and thinkers everywhere. The ICF Foundation consists of over 100 communities, cities and regions that have been globally designated as Intelligent Communities and which participate in an ongoing dialogue to strengthen local economies. For more information, go to www.intelligentcommunity.org.

Intelligent Community Forum Contacts

John Jung
Co-Founder Intelligent Community Forum
Phone: 519-575-6672
Email: [email protected]

Paul Brent
Senior Communications Specialist
market2world communications inc.
Phone: 613-256-3939
Email: [email protected]