In 2011, Eindhoven was selected by ICF as the Intelligent Community of the Year. It is globally renowned for its smart mobility efforts. It includes a diverse set of mobility options for its citizens including a unique raised “hovering” bicycle roundabout and street lighting and traffic signals dedicated to bicycles throughout the city and region. The city centre also includes a significant pedestrian area. Eindhoven’s Automotive Technology Centre involves over 125 organizations in collaborative projects ranging from start-up of new high-tech mobility systems to ICT companies, stimulated by being involved with the region’s incubators. The Centre for Automotive Research in the Auto Campus has had a driverless bus, called Phileas, navigate parts of Eindhoven since the late 1990s. As a smart mobility bus rapid transit system, it is intended to deliver tram-like public transport at a very low cost because of low maintenance, lack of rails, no overhead lines and the ability to recharge the battery by means of electromagnetic induction. It has had commercial success in places like Korea, Turkey and Israel. More recently, WePods are being experimented within neighbouring towns on public roads.

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Like Columbus, Toronto, Ontario in Canada is a community that is part of the Great Lakes and North American rust belt, having been negatively impacted by massive manufacturing decline in the later 1900’s. Like Columbus, Toronto has leveraged education, enlightened civic institutions and private sector innovation to transform its city core, waterfront and now its entire Greater Toronto Area (GTA) for the digital era.

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Columbus, Ohio, is the state capital of one of the states that border Lake Erie in the Great Lakes region of the United States. It has the highest metropolitan concentration of Fortune 1000 companies in America and is the home of one of the best research schools, Ohio State University (OSU). It is also home of Battelle, the world’s biggest private research institute. On the other hand, Columbus also has a large, low-income population stranded by the decline of low-skilled factory employment and was ranked 46th out of the 50 largest U.S. cities for upward mobility. As a result, average per-capita income is among the lowest in the U.S, employers in the Columbus region struggle to find qualified staff and the struggles associated with unemployment and low-wage jobs afflict too many of its citizens. Nevertheless, community-wide leadership and collaboration among organizations are working to turn this around by leading a regional approach to economic development with surrounding communities. Columbus is now one of a handful of US regions that turned the exodus of newly minted grads to instead become a magnet for talent. In 2013, Columbus was named one of the top 10 cities in the US for new college grads and employment growth in skilled manufacturing has exceeded 35% over the past decade.

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Definitions of Smart Mobility, like Smart Communities, are never crystal clear and agreed to, however, for the purposes of this blog, let’s use the EU Commission’s definition of a Smart City as … a city seeking to address public issues via ICT-based solutions on the basis of a multi-stakeholder, municipally based partnership. By extension, the related focus on Smart Mobility refers to ICT Supported and Integrated Transport and Logistics Systems, prioritising clean and often non-motorised options for urban areas. The result of such a smart mobility focus would benefit the community by enacting public policies supporting ICT-enabled strategies creating “sustainable, safe and interconnected transportation systems, such as trams, buses, trains, metros, cars, cycles and pedestrians in situations using one or more modes of transport. [But it would also] support relevant and real-time information, accessed by the public in order to save time and improve commuting efficiency, save costs and reduce CO2 emissions, as well as network transport managers to improve services and provide feedback to citizens.” Similarly, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are defined as “the application of advanced and emerging technologies (computers, sensors, control, communications, and electronic devices) in transportation to save lives, time, money, energy and the environment.”

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Urban transportation and efficient logistics is at the heart of vital, thriving metropolitan areas. Unbridled growth can result in congestion, pollution and undesirable daily stress which can evolve into impoverished environments leading to inefficiencies, unproductive land-uses and a diminished quality of life. Solving the mobility challenges of moving people, goods and services is one of the most pressing issues in modern and growing cities around the world, especially given that by mid-century three-quarters of the world’s population will be living in urban centres. With our cities ill-prepared for this massive migration, mobility and its impacts: social, economic, environmental and political, will all need to be addressed before it is too late to save our cities as liveable ecosystems. Mobility challenges impacting trade and the attraction and retention of investment and talent can seriously undermine the sustainability of the city and region from an environmental, fiscal and social perspective. This series of blogs will look at international smart technologies which aim to manage urban assets and systems to improve efficiencies, increase transport productivity and harness enhanced mobility options. These blogs will also look at city examples from around the world of a more holistic approach we refer to as intelligent communities that aim to solve transportation, sustainability and liveability issues.

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Is Robby the Robot casting a covetous eye on your job?  Or on the jobs of your friends, colleagues, citizens and taxpayers?  A 2013 study by an Oxford University researcher forecast that as many as 47% of jobs in the United States were at risk of being automated out of existence in the future.  These are jobs with a lot of routine work in them that do not, on the other hand, require the soft skills of interaction with human beings.  

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Speaker Profile

ICF co-founder John G. Jung originated the Intelligent Community concept and continues to serve as the Forum's leading visionary. Formerly President and CEO of the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance, Calgary Economic Development Authority and Canada’s Technology Triangle, he is a registered professional urban planner, urban designer and economic developer. He leads regular international business missions to US, European, Asian, Indian and Australian cities, and originated the ICF Immersion Lab program. John is a regular speaker at universities and conferences and serves as an advisor to regional and national leaders on Intelligent Community development. He has also given presentations to Prime Ministers, Presidents and Royalty around the world. As one of the Co-authors of Brain Gain and other books and publications on Smart Cities and Intelligent Communities, John was a featured speaker at the Ottawa Writer’s Festival. He is also the author of numerous articles in planning and economic development journals, has received global awards, honorary degrees and other recognition for his work in urban planning, urban design, economic development and related collaboration and strategic development initiatives around the world. He also sits on numerous boards, task forces and international advisory boards.

 

Programs

John has been the principle urban navigator for the ICF Immersion Labs in Asia and the USA. He has been invited to lead or participate in high-level delegations around the world at which he has promoted the Intelligent Community movement, including presentations to international associations, global mayors and councils, and heads of state, including Presidents and Premiers of countries and to royal families and their guests. John was instrumental in founding ICF Canada and has been leading the effort to create other ICF Nations around the world. ICF Taiwan was recently launched under John’s guidance as was the ICF Institute in Taiwan, which was launched in March 2018. Also with his help, ICF Canada has published several papers including Sharpening Canada’s Competitive Edge, Broadband: the Essential Utility, From Connectivity to Community and several others. John is also a regular columnist in MyLivableCity, an international publication produced out of Mumbai, India and contributor to chapters in the forthcoming book: Innovative Solutions for Creating Sustainable Cities (Cambridge Scholars, UK).

Publications

John developed, executed and wrote the content for the whitepaper Creating City-to City Connections. He is a co-author of the ICF books Brain Gain, Broadband Economies: Creating the Community of the 21st Century and Seizing Our Destiny. He conceived the study for “Sharpening Canada’s Competitive Edge” and is the principle author for dozens of urban development plans and strategies for smart cities, economic development and urban planning initiatives. John also produces quarterly articles in the international journal “My Liveable City”; hundreds of blogs and articles in ICF and GovTech publications and is the principle author of the ICF Canada Newsletter, iCommunity.ca. He is also the writer and producer for the video: “From Smart City to Intelligent Community”.

 

Reviews

- "John Jung spoke at TEDxPiraí, in March 2014. He is a wonderful professional but also an inspiring human being. His speech was filled with new ideas that captured the attention of everyone at the event, talking about different aspects of cities around the world. He made Piraí's community think differently to make things better. It was such a good experience that I’d highly recommend John Jung as a speaker for any kind of event." - Marco Andrade Brandao, TEDxRio

 

- "John Jung delivered an extraordinary presentation on the international movement toward Intelligent Communities, the benefits to citizens, and the context cities face in this global movement. He does what few speakers can do: he provides the global context for Intelligent Communities, but he also presents the road map for becoming part of this elite group of cities. John delivers inspiring talks that alert local communities to the possibilities that await the bold, and the standards to which they are held when they seek to become Intelligent Community leaders. John is more than just an eloquent speaker on a topic he is clearly passionate about; he is an ambassador for the Intelligent Community Forum brand, its goals, and its mandate." - Terence Sooley, Director, Research & Conference Production, Strategy Institute

- "Waterfront Toronto’s journey towards an Intelligent Community started in June 2004 at the Intelligent Community Forum Summit in New York City. That is where I first heard John Jung talk about the merits of an intelligent community and how different cities around the world had been re-shaped by their efforts to adopt this strategy. My discussions with John after the Forum led us to the start of a 10 year path – one that saw us install Canada’s very first open access ultra-broadband network. Apart from technology, the other components of the Intelligent Community Forum's mantra, things like digital inclusion, have helped us shape our strategy." - John Campbell, President & CEO, Waterfront Toronto

Addresses

ICF 2019 Summit, Speaker and Moderator
New York City, June 12-13, 2019

ICF Matchmaking Day Conference Program, Speaker and Moderator
New York City, June 11, 2019

Olds Smart Cities Challenge Community Solutions Network Workshop
Olds, Alberta, May 29, 2019

Windsor-Essex Smart Cities Challenge Community Solutions Network Workshop
Windsor, Ontario, May 22, 2019

Taoyuan, Taiwan Presentation on Intelligent Community Movement
April 29, 2019

Commtech East Conference, Panel
Mississauga, Ontario, April 17, 2019

Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, Presentation on Intelligent Community Movement
April 9, 2019

Hudson, Ohio Presentation on Intelligent Community Movement
April 2, 2019

SMART CITY EXPO World Congress, Speaker
Curitiba, Brazil, March 21, 2019

TOP7 Announcement and Conference at Laval University, speaker and moderator
Quebec City, Feb 11, 2019

Smart to Intelligent Communities Roadshow
Milan-Perugia, Italy: January 25 - Feb 1, 2019

Abbotsford Workshop No. 2, Accelerator Workshop Keynote
Abbotsford, BC, November 30, 2018

Smart to Intelligent Communities Address, Global Forum
Copenhagen, Denmark. Nov 6, 2018

SMART Dubai Address
Dubai, UAE, Nov 1, 2018

Intelligent Community Case Studies: Moderator, Hamilton Smart21 Conference
October 25, 2918

Innovation 360, Smart Cities and Nanotechnology Conference: a Mutual Evolution, Panelist
Toronto, October 23, 2018

Abbotsford Intelligent Community Accelerator Workshop
Abbotsford, BC, August 15, 2018

Smart to Intelligent Cities, Several Panels, Moscow Urban Forum
Moscow, Russia, July 17-20, 2018

Smart City Panelist
Liverpool, UK, June 12, 2018

ICF 2018 Summit, Moderator
London, UK, June 5-7, 2018

Taichung Smart City Conference, Address
Taichung, Taiwan, May 5, 2018

Tainan Site Visit, Community Address
Tainan, Taiwan, April 24, 2018

Smart to Intelligent Indian Cities
Pune, India, April 17, 2018

Returning Visit to TOP7 Oulu: Observations Address
Oulu, Finland, April 6, 2018

Smart to Intelligent Communities: Keynote Address
Espoo, Finland, April 3, 2018

FDI and Smart Cities: Think Canada
Toronto March 20, 2018

Signing Ceremony Keynote Address, ICF Institute in Taiwan
Hsinchu, Taiwan, March 15, 2018

Problem solving: the right data for the right question, Information Builders
Toronto, March 8, 2018

LSNetwork Digital Master Planning Seminar
Toronto, March 5, 2018

Intelligent Communities Keynote Address during Mobile World
Barcelona, Spain Feb 27, 2018

Intelligent Communities Presentation: Valencia Government and NGOs
Valencia, Spain, Feb 23, 2018

Smart to Intelligent Keynote Presentation: Madrid Society
Madrid, Spain, Feb 21, 2018

ICF Canada Webinar - Smart Communities: A Primer on how BC communities can leverage the Smart Revolution
Feb 15, 2018

ICF Webinar – Organizer; French Canadian SMART CITIES CHALLENGE
January 11, 2018

ICF Webinar – Moderator; Canadian SMART CITIES CHALLENGE
January 10, 2018

Smart Cities West: Oracle Conference, Keynote
Vancouver, December 12, 2017

Our Future as Smart Cities: Planning for Healthier Environments; IIDEX panel
Nov 27, 2017

Smart to Intelligent Communities Presentation to Sarnia-Lambton Community
Nov. 17, 2017

LS Networks - Smart Pole technologies
Vancouver, November 6, 2017

Intelligent Communities – various speaking engagements throughout Lagos, Nigeria
October 30-Nov 3, 2017

High Performance Government: Oracle’s Vision for Smart Cities. Keynote
Mississauga, Oct. 27, 2017

FDI TrustBelt Conference: Smart Cities Panel
Des Moines, Iowa. Oct 23, 2017

GSMA Smart Cities Webinar
Oct 16, 2017

Smart to Intelligent Panel: Global Forum
Winnipeg. October 2, 2017

Smart Cities: AMCTO Conference on Open & Smart Communities
Toronto. Sept 27, 2017

IoT Intelligence in Community Ecosystems
Toronto Sept 21, 2017

IOT - IOVALUE: INTELLIGENCE IN COMMUNITY ECOSYSTEMS

Technology Ecosystem: Smart Cities Matter
Bayview Yards, Ottawa. September 19, 2017

Intelligent Communities: More than being Smart: IEDC keynote to Chief Economic Development Officials
Sept 18, 2017

Smart Cities Results and Experiences: Concordia University
Montreal, June 27, 2017

ICF Summit, MC, Panel Moderator and Presenter
June 6-8, 2017, New York, New York, USA

Intelligent Community Movement: Presentation to Taoyuan City
April 27, 2017, Taoyuan City, Taiwan

Intelligent Community Movement: Presentation to Chiayi City
April 24, 2017, Chiayi City, Taiwan

Intelligent Community Movement: Presentation to Whittlesea
April 6, 2017, Whittlesea, Victoria, Australia

Intelligent Community Movement: Presentation to Melbourne
April 5, 2017, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Intelligent Community Movement: Presentation to Prospect
March 31, 2017, Prospect (Adelaide), South Australia

Intelligent Community Movement: Presentation to Ballarat
March 30, 2017, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

Panelist Humanizing the Smart City; Presentation at Mobile World
February 28, 2017, Barcelona, Spain

Roundtable Valencia on Smart Cities
February 27, 2017, Valencia, Spain

Technical University of Madrid Roundtable
February 26, 2017, Madrid, Spain

Intelligent Community Movement: Presentation to New Taipei City
February 10, 2017 New Taipei City, Taiwan

Intelligent Community Movement: Various Presentations at the ICF Taiwan Launch and Internet of Cities Conference
February 9, 2017 Taipei, Taiwan

Announcement of the TOP7 for 2017
October 19, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Presentation to ITRI and Hsinchu County Council
February 8, 2017, Hsinchu County, Taiwan

ICF Presentation to Tainan City Council
February 6, 2017, Tainan City, Taiwan

Presentation to Dublin ICF Global Institute
November 2, 2016, Dublin, Ohio

MC at THINK CANADA with a focus on Intelligent Communities. Included a panel with ICF’s Robert Bell and Lou Zacharilla on the importance of becoming an Intelligent Community and the announcement of the SMART21 for 2017
October 19, 2016, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Presentation on Canadian Intelligent Communities and Economic Competitiveness
October 14, 2016, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Presentation on Canadian Intelligent Communities and Economic Competitiveness
October 13, 2016, Brisbane, Australia

Presentation on Canadian Intelligent Communities and Economic Competitiveness
October 12, 2016, Melbourne, Australia

Speaker at the ITS World Congress - “Enhancing Liveable Cities and Communities: From Smart to Intelligent Mobility”
October 11, 2016, Melbourne, Australia

Presentation on Canadian Intelligent Communities and Economic Competitiveness
October 10, 2016, Sydney, Australia

Presentation on Canadian Intelligent Communities and Economic Competitiveness
October 7, 2016, Auckland, New Zealand

Speaking at the Global Forum on Transformation and the Autonomous Vehicle in Intelligent Communities
September 19, 2016, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Speaker at the Canadian Institute of Planners CIP Annual Summit - “Are Smart Cities Enough?”
July 6, 2016

ICF Summit, MC and Speaker
June 13-17, 2016, Columbus, Ohio, USA

Speaker on Regional Economic Development and Smart Communities
June 8, 2016, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Toronto Region Board of Trade: Smart Cities Summit
May 26, 2016, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

CI Accelerating Smart Communities event
May 10, 2016, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Presentations during site visit to Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
May 4-5, 2016, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany

Several presentations during the ICF site visit including a fireside chat with NZ economist, Shamubeel Eaqub on the NZ “Zombie Towns”
April 26-27, 2016, Whanganui, New Zealand

Presentation on Rural Broadband “With Broadband, the middle of nowhere is no more”
April 19, 2016, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Presentations in Hsinchu County during ICF Site visit
April 13-14, 2016, Hsinchu County, Taiwan

Presentation on “The Importance of being involved in the Intelligent Community Movement”
March 23, 2016, Tainan City, Taiwan

Presentation: “On Being a Successful Intelligent Community”
March 22, 2016, Hsinchu County, Taiwan

Presentations at Taipei Smart Cities Expo and Wise Cities Forum on the difference between Smart and Intelligent Communities
March 21, 2016, Taipei, Taiwan

MC and speaker at GLOBE, in Vancouver on Intelligent Communities and Sustainability
March 2, 2016, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Rome: Smart City Presentation and several panels at the Canadian Embassy, "Smart and the City"
June 23, 2015 - Rome, Italy

Host, Moderator and Interviewer at the ICF Summit
June 8-12, 2015 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Signing of Eindhoven-Waterloo MOU in the presence of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Queen Maxima
May 27, 2015 - Waterloo Canada

Introductory Remarks with Sir Terry Matthews
May 20, 2015 - Waterloo, Canada

Keynote Address to Sunshine Coast Intelligent Community Breakfast and Australia Information Industry Association and Regional Development Australia
May 6, 2015 - Sunshine Coast, Australia

Keynote Address on Smart to Intelligent Communities at Brisbane Business Luncheon, Australia Information Industry Association and Regional Development Australia
May 5, 2015 - Brisbane, Australia

Presentations to Ipswich Rotary Breakfast on Intelligent Communities
May 5, 2015 - Ipswich, Australia

Presentation to Ipswich City Council on ICF Awards Process
May 4, 2015 - Ipswich, Australia

Featured Luncheon Speaker re. "Brain Gain" at Ottawa's Speakers Festival
April 28, 2015 - Ottawa, Canada

Address re Intelligent Community Waterloo at Intelligent Community Eindhoven
April 20, 2015 - Eindhoven, the Netherlands

Keynote address on Smart Cities, My Liveable City Conference
April 17, 2015 - New Delhi, India

Presentation on ICF Awards Process at New Taipei NTPC City Hall
April 1, 2015 - New Taipei City, Taiwan

Presentation to International Network of Korean Entrepreneurs Canada-Korea Startup Venture Forum
March 26, 2015 - Toronto, Canada

Six keynote presentations at Vibrant Gujarat
January 12-16, 2015 - Ahmedabad, India, New Delhi, Surat and Bangalore, India

International Dinner and Thought Leadership Event – Presentation
December 4, 2014 - Waterloo, Canada

Keynote Presentation on Intelligent Transportation systems at Transportation Congress
November 21, 2014 - Auckland, NZ

Keynote Presentation on Internet of Things at Auckland IOT Conference
Nov. 20, 2014 - Auckland, NZ

Presentation on Canadian Intelligent Communities as part of CCCA
Nov. 6, 2014 - Stuttgart, Germany

Presentation to His Royal Highness King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde with the Governor General of Canada
October 28, 2014

Presentation at Roundtable at the Canadian Embassy Residence with Her Royal Highness, Princess Margriet Francisca of the Netherlands with the Governor General of Canada
October 26, 2014

Panelist at CITY AGE Conference regarding the Age of Disruption
October 9, 2014 - Waterloo Canada

Address to the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) on Smart Cities in the Age of Disruption at their Annual Convention
October 1, 2014 - Niagara Falls

Let's Get Digital – Moderated Canadian Urban Institute Panel on the evolving smart cities dialogue
September 26, 2014 - Toronto, Canada

Parliament of Mayors
September 20-21, 2014 - Amsterdam and The Hague in the Netherlands

Interview on PNR Radio
July 14, 2014 - Washington, DC

Presentation at The Hague on e-government as the keynote at the Royal Dutch Telecom KPN Conference
June 16, 2014

ICF Summit, Moderator and Interviewer
June 2-6, 2014, New York City, NY, USA

Waterloo Innovation Summit Panelist
April 14, 2014 - Waterloo Canada

Keynote Address on Smart Cities at Smart Cities Conference "From Smart Cities to Intelligent Communities"
April 9, 2014 - Toronto, Canada

Presentation on ICF Awards process
April 8, 2014 - Winnipeg, Manitoba

Presentations and panels on ICF Awards Process
April 1, 2014 - Columbus, Ohio, USA

"So you think you're so Smart?"
15 March 2014 - Rio de Janeiro/Pirai, TEDx Pirai

"Toronto's Intelligent Community: A Case Study"
1 March 2014 - Beijing

"Intelligent Communities –A Competitive Advantage"
22 February 2014 - Beijing, 智能社区-竞争力优势

"Intelligent Communities Presentation"
20 February 2014 - Beijing, Pactera

"Successful Cities attract Foreign Direct Investment"
27 November 2013, Amsterdam

"Intelligent Communities –A Competitive Advantage"
19 October 2013 - Shanghai, 智能社区-竞争力优势

"Intelligent Communities Primer to the Government of Kunshan"
17 October 2013 - Kunshan, China

"Smart and Intelligent Communities Around the World"
17 September 2013 - Taipei, Taiwan, Taipei Computer Association's 2013 IT Next Forum & Expo

"Successful Smart and Intelligent Communities"
19 June 2013 - Montreal, Webcom, Quebec Institute for a Digital Society
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Master of Ceremonies; Intelligent Community Forum Summit
6-8 June 2013 - New York City

Intelligent Community Waterloo, Case Study
21 May 2013 - Quebec City, Canada

"Intelligent Education to the Masses, Introduction to Suneet Singh Tuli"
14 May 2013 - Toronto, Canada, Canada 3.0

"Intelligent Communities - Challenges and Strategies"
24 April 2013 - Oulu, Finland, Smart Cities Workshop

"Developments and trends in smart cities: How you can benefit economically, ecologically, and socially by becoming an Intelligent Community"
9 April 2013 - Toronto, Canada, Smart City event

"Importance of Education in Intelligent Cities"
1 April 2013 - Tallinn- Estonia, Presentation to Tallinn Technical University

"Smart Cities and Systems: Problems, Practice, and Perspectives"
26 March 2013 - Hong Kong Forum organized by the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Smart China Company Limited

"Innovative Ecosystems"
11 March 2013 - London UK Innovation Forum

"Intelligent Mobility"
30 January 2013 - MOBIT, Recife, Brazil

Keynote
7 November 2012 - World Planning Forum Webinar

"Creating the Intelligent Community"
17 October 2012 - First International Foreign Investment Forum, Moscow, Russia

"The New Urban Intelligence"
4 September 2012, RioInfo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

"Creating the Intelligent Community"
8 May 2012 - Taichung City Hall, Taiwan

"Innovation in Intelligent Communities"
15 March 2012, Keynote to Tech City, London, UK

"Innovation and Intelligent Communities"
21 November 2011, Governor General of Canada’s State, Singapore

Keynote: "Creating Successful Intelligent Cities in China"
18 November 2011, Chongqing University Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China

Keynote: "Intelligent Cities in Taiwan"
14 November, 2011, Intelligent Cities Summit, New Taipei City, Taiwan

"Vision for a Green Digital Future"
8 November 2011, Global Forum 2011, Brussels, Belgium

Keynote: "Creating the Smart City of the Future"
18 May 2011, APEC Conference, Langfang, Beijing, China

"Sustainability and Intelligent Communities"
February 2011, University of Waterloo Intelligent Communities Course

"ICF and Intelligent Communities"
November 2010, C-11 Economic Development Communities in Canada, Quebec City, PQ, Canada

"Shaping our Future Together, Strengthening Communities"
23 October 2010, Columbia Basin Trust Conference, Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada

Keynote "Intelligent Communities"
21 October 2010, Southwest Enterprise Region Annual Conference, Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada

"Future-Proofing Australian Communities"
26 July, 2010, Griffith University, Gold Coast City, Australia

"Future-Proofing: Toward Creating Successful Cities"
March 2010, Suwon City, South Korea

Ever wonder how an idea is started and how it might lead to something much bigger than you ever thought it could? The birth of the Intelligent Community Forum started through a new idea generated in the 1980’s and early 1990’s through participation in two organizations, the World Trade Centers Association, focused on global trade, and the World Teleport Association, focused on global telecommunications to link opportunities for global trade, international sports and entertainment events and communications.

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The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) is the original smart cities organization formed in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s – initially as the Canadian Smart Cities Institute (CSCI), which worked with the World Teleport Association to organize SMART95, the first smart city conference, held in Toronto in September 1995. The CSCI evolved into the Intelligent Community Forum as a global, but New York City-based non-profit think tank, when it moved from Canada to NYC in the late 1990’s. So, yes, we have been around for a considerable time.

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PART 2: With smart infrastructure, smart people and smart money, an innovation ecosystem is never too far behind.

As we see the emergence of the Internet of Things in the short years ahead we will become even more used to changes in how we will expect things to work and how differently we will want to do things. Resistance to change has been the usual excuse for communities and people, in general, in the past to accept new ways of doing things, but as our urban areas increase their populations and it becomes more difficult to be mobile; to be able to do the things that we may have done previously and we will now have to share it with more people waiting to have access to it, there will be less resistance to change. Perhaps even pent-up demand will be experienced for things that people see in other communities and expect will or should be available to them in short order.

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