In 2018, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, published his roadmap for London to become the leading smart city globally. At the centre of this ambition stands a commitment to ensuring that digital technologies and data innovation will make a positive contribution to Londoners. While this requires a leading role of London's city-wide government, its complex and fragmented governance arrangement, decentralised city services and influential role of private sector actors demands new forms of collaboration and co-production.
The Smarter London Together roadmap identifies five missions: user-centred design, data-sharing, smart infrastructure, digital skills and collaboration. To work on these broad strategic components of a digital future, London government is supported by a Smart London Board and a new role of a Chief Digital Officer, appointed for the first time in 2018.
Against the backdrop of international efforts that have advanced the smart cities agenda over the last decade, this public event will discuss successes and challenges of the London case. It will focus on the role of city governments in steering an urban-led digitalisation, how citizens and city government can interact more effectively and on how to bring the technology community on board.
Besides reflecting on past and existing innovation, the event will speculate about how cities can go beyond trials and demonstrator projects and work towards city-wide scaling of new digital solutions. It will further reflect on new requirements for a deeper knowledge of city data, data protection and security related concerns.
Appointed in 2017 as London’s first Chief Digital Officer, Theo Blackwell (@LDN_CDO) leads on London-wide digital transformation, data and smart city initiatives at City Hall.
Léan Doody (@ldoody) is an Associate Director and the Digital Property and Smart Cities Leader for Europe at Arup. She has over 20 years’ experience in the industry on projects involving extensive strategy and policy work on the application of smart technologies.
LSE Cities (@LSECities) is an international centre that carries out research, graduate and executive education and outreach activities in London and abroad. It studies how people and cities interact in a rapidly urbanising world, focusing on how the physical form and design of cities impacts on society, culture and the environment.
Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSESmarterLondon