Mr Vermast has the title of Senior Strategy Advisor for Low Carbon and Connected Urban Planning Amsterdam Smart City.
Mr Tolva is the former Chief Technology Officer City of Chicago and President of PositivEnergy.
A common thread of both of their addresses was that the primary focus of a smart city had to be on citizens’ rights to government data as well as expectation for a happy living environment.
This vision fits in with Parramatta Council’s Smart City strategy.
Both men admitted their cities had made mistakes but there had been many successes.
The innovations, or potential outcomes for their cities, are:
Amsterdam
● Supporting start-up companies working on energy-efficient solutions.
● Have a masterplan for smart city that is flexible.
● Sharing knowledge with Barcelona.
● Encourage citizens to develop apps to make city more liveable.
● Encourage citizens/businesses/schools/hospitals etc to share solar energy.
● Using treated sewage for heating at airport.
● Discourage car ownership with shared vehicles.
Chicago
● Reading tweets to gauge public concern, such as restaurants that have made people ill so authorities can dispatch health inspectors.
● Composting public trash cans.
● Bus-stop timetables tracking buses.
● SMS alert when car parking time is about to expire.
