Rethinking cities – and making them liveable
Whether it’s swimming in the Seine during the Olympic Games or making room for trees instead of SUVs as part of a comprehensive resilience strategy, Paris continues to set new standards in urban transformation. Then there is the city’s ability to combine tradition and modernity. Today, the city impresses not only with its ambitious goals and innovative concepts, but also with its people and networks.
In this context, we were delighted to be invited to the Screenless Cities Conference organised by the Urban AI think tank! With insights into the QTrees research project, our Kiezlabor mobile lab and the new Talking Treebot, we brought tangible examples of the interplay between technology, creative collaboration and the involvement of local people, and discussed their potential and applications with participants from all over the world.
During the conference and in the days that followed, various Parisian stakeholders from politics, business and civil society gave us exciting insights into their work and showed us how Paris is becoming a more sustainable, resilient and increasingly people-centred city.
The city as a multisensory platform
From screens to computers, smartphones and smartwatches, screens are a constant presence in our daily lives – increasingly at the expense of face-to-face interaction. The problem of so-called smombies (smartphone zombies) is increasingly at the forefront of our society, with the first cities and neighbourhood cafes introducing smartphone-free zones. But what if, instead of banning technology, we could turn public spaces into a multi-sensory experience? We explored this question and solutions at the Screenless City Conference, organised by UrbanAI – a think tank of globally networked scientists and practitioners.
Solutions such as Spatial Pixel are experimenting with light, sound and physical interaction to rethink and make accessible the interaction with objects that surround us in our everyday lives. Low-threshold approaches such as DynamicLand from California show how a digital planning table redefines haptic interaction with data. Both solutions explore how one’s own environment can be perceived as a platform.
“Technologies should always be used in a purposeful and transparent way. Using public space as a ‘screen’ is a brilliant idea because it makes technology and data transparent and literally tangible, and encourages people to actively participate in urban design.” Henriette Närger, Product Owner, CityLAB Berlin
Play as a tool for community and innovation
Play is not just for entertainment, it is also a means of connecting people and opening up new perspectives. Eric Gordon from the Engagement Lab explained that play changes the way people perceive and participate in urban processes. “People who would otherwise never get involved are often more attracted to creative and low-threshold formats. And it is local people who should be involved in deciding what ‘smart’ means in their context,” says Gordon. Projects such as Beta Blocks and Watershed’s Playable City also show how creative interventions invite citizens to understand and shape public space and data together.
Data & Artificial Intelligence – for good!
The startup nexqt demonstrated in Paris that artificial intelligence can also be climate-friendly. Using geo-AI and machine learning, gaps in traffic and building data can be filled in to identify trends in CO2 consumption and thus areas for action, and ultimately promote action at the neighbourhood level. EUBUCCO complements this work with a comprehensive database of building footprints across Europe, which greatly facilitates planning processes.
“The key challenge for cities in climate policy is not data collection, but the use of data to inform action. To manage complexity effectively, a holistic approach is needed at the building and neighbourhood level, rather than managing long Excel spreadsheets and individual measures.” says Fouzi, CEO of nexqt.
Beyond the climate context, AI can also be used to enhance privacy and data protection. For example, startup Capable demonstrated how AI-generated fabric patterns and clothing can be used to protect individuals from automated facial recognition in everyday life. Both technological solutions are an important step towards finding tangible answers to the complexity of climate and social needs.
Participation that really counts: Lessons from the 17th arrondissement
A highlight of our visit was the exchange with Geoffroy Boulard, Mayor of the 17th arrondissement in Paris. Not only his projects, but also his personal commitment to co-creation with citizens: “I am a firm believer in co-creation. It’s best if people develop solutions together with the authorities. It’s not just about the platforms we provide. We create channels to show that things are happening and being implemented. This attitude is reflected in some of the arrondissement’s projects, which actively involve local citizens in urban change processes and support innovative start-ups in the long term.”
This includes IoT start-up UpCiti, which is receiving long-term funding to use IoT sensor technology to calm the neighbourhood. Low-resolution cameras with microphones make it easier to find a parking space and reduce traffic. Emergency services are automatically informed of the current situation in the arrondissement to combat noise pollution.
“In addition to innovative solutions, long-term investment is needed to achieve effective results in urban communities. Seeing how implementation projects are tackled in Paris should serve as a benchmark for other cities.” Julia Zimmermann, Head of Digital Services, Technologiestiftung Berlin
Conclusion: Collaboration, sharing and creativity are key
Paris has shown: The future of our cities lies in the combination of technology, creativity and real participation. Projects such as CityLAB Berlin’s Kiezlabor show that innovation happens where people are actively involved and solutions are tested locally. The Technologiestiftung Berlin supports this development through practical research and the use of digital technologies that bring government and civil society closer together.
“The exchange between cities shows the enormous potential of joint development – from open source approaches to real, active participation on the ground. Strong networks that combine local projects with international cooperation are indispensable for tackling challenges such as the climate crisis or digitalisation together and sustainably across city borders.” Yannick Müller, Strategic Partnerships, CityLAB Berlin.
