Hello Tomorrow: Durham Smart Cities Forum
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On September 29, 2018, the Region of Durham successfully hosted the Hello Tomorrow: Smart Cities Durham Forum at University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in the City of Oshawa.
More than 300 residents, community partners, businesses, academics, students, government officials and tech industry leaders in Durham Region and beyond registered to attend the forum to share feedback on, and learn more about, smart cities approaches and technologies.
The forum included:
- A keynote address by Hillary Hartley, Ontario's Chief Digital Officer.
- Presentations and panel discussions on innovation in Durham Region (including transit, energy, income stability and information technology), smart city innovation, education, leadership in a connected community, and automotive technology and mobility innovation.
- A free event app to allow attendees to interact and provide input.
- Exhibits, technology demonstrations and networking opportunities.
As promised, we are pleased to share some exciting next steps, and invite you to sign up for future smart cities updates.
- Responses to all of the questions asked on the event app during the Smart Durham Panel have been added to the Documents section of the Hello Tomorrow: Smart Cities Durham app.
- ThinkLink Graphics’ final visual facilitation boards have also been added to the Documents section of the app.
- Those who were not able to attend the forum can watch the recorded broadcast of the speakers and panelists.
We continue to receive ideas regarding future sessions focused on specific industries, including energy, transportation, public health, etc. If you would like to be kept informed about these sessions, please subscribe to receive smart cities updates.
The Region of Durham is eager to proceed with the development of short-term pilot projects and partnerships, including:
- A Durham Region Transit autonomous vehicle pilot.
- Partnership between Corporate Services-Information Technology and the Durham College AI/Hub, as announced at the Forum.
- Opportunities to start an accelerated research project.
- Participating in the next wave of the federal Smart Cities Challenge, anticipated to launch in spring 2019.
Watch this page for the latest information and updates!
Key Themes
- What can we do to ensure Durham Region is a “smart” community?
- How can technology solutions create economic opportunities, improve sustainability and enhance the quality of life in Durham Region?
- How can we enhance our collaboration with traditional and non-traditional partners?
- How can we improve information sharing to empower residents?
About Smart Cities
There is no single definition of a smart city as it can mean many different things. All smart cities use technology to collect and analyze data. Governments can use devices connected to the Internet to gather information and interact with residents and infrastructure to make better decisions. Durham Region is focused on connecting with people to address economic, social and environmental challenges. Come and hear more about smart cities concepts and how they can be used to make Durham a stronger, more inclusive and resilient community.
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