English Language VI

Debate 7: Smart Cities

Members:

C:

ST-LVIC-G7-1
ST-LVIC-G7-2

A:

ST-LVIA-G7-3
ST-LVIA-G7-4
ST-LVIA-G7-5
ST-LVIA-G7-6
ST-LVIA-G7-7

ST-LVIA-G7-8

Discussion Leader:

DL-LVI-G7-1

 

·         DL-LVI-G7-1

Hello everyone!
I’d like to introduce myself as the discussion leader of this group. My name is DL-LVI-G7-1, I am 21 years old and I am an Erasmus student from the University of Bristol in England, where I study modern languages (French and Spanish). I love learning about different cultures, and how they change from country to country, or even from city to city, which is why I have chosen to study what I do – and also why I am doing an Erasmus year!

It would be nice to be able to get to know a bit about each of you, too, so please introduce yourself in the forum!…
What do you like to do in your free time?
Where is the best city or country you have ever visited?
If you could chose to be any animal, which one would you be?
It would also be quite nice to know why you have chosen to study the issue of smart cities for this task!

I look forward to reading about you all and for us to start off the discussion.

 

·         ST-LVIC-G7-1

Hello! I’m ST-LVIC-G7-1, from France :). I’m a 20year-old student in Spain this year. I’m passionate about Hispanic culture and I’m still struggling to get to learn more about english.
I’ll try to answer your questions as sincerely as possible! :
Since I live in Spain I’m fond of salsa! and of music in general… I used to play the drums.
For now, I really recommand to visit Danemark! I had a real crush for Copenhaguen…
My totem animal is the wolf
Concerning my study, my grade is called “applied linguistics”, in which I study english and spanish (translation and culture) in addition to law and economics. I found this grade quite open and general, which is good to stay versatile, even more when you don’t know what you’d like to do in the future..
Finally, I chose this topic because I’m very curious about our positive evolution as smart human being, and also to develop my knowledge about this subject… Actually, it seems interesting and large, and i’d like to learn more about it. .

What about you?
See you soon!

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-5

Hello! My name is ST-LVIA-G7-5, I’m from Valencia, Spain. I’m a 21year-old student at the University of Valencia. As DL-LVI-G7-1 pointed out, I love learning about other cultures too! 🙂 I personally think that we have a great opportunity to know each other better with this idea of 4 questions so I’m going to answer them right now !!
On my free time (well, I don’t have so much because I work) I really enjoy watching some movies and tv series… because is an easy way of taking the advantage of this free time while you are practicing listening, for instance. By the way, what are your favorite shows?
Regarding the second question, I would say, San Sebastian, which is located in the North of Spain. I was born there and I fell in love every time I go to visit my family, it has wonderful beaches and the food is amazing.
My favorites animals are lions and koalas, so I think I would be one of them… maybe the lions, they are more active 😉 hahaha
I choose this option because when I read the other options I wanted to choose the typical one of ‘diets’ and that stuff, so I decided to leave my comfort zone and choose this one!
See you, xx

 

·         DL-LVI-G7-1

+ ST-LVIA-G7-8 Hi ST-LVIA-G7-5, thanks for your post! I like to watch tv shows in my free time too, but I like to watch funny and easy-going shows to give me a chance to relax, rather than intense or complicated shows. For example, I like ‘New Girl’ and ‘Friends’ as they make me laugh.
I’m glad to hear that you have chosen to leave your comfort zone by choosing to study smart cities, I hope you learn a lot and enjoy it!

 

·          DL-LVI-G7-1

Thank you tho those who replied! If you haven’t yet posted to introduce yourself and answer some ice-breaking questions, please still feel free to do so.
I think we should now get the discussion started, and maybe we should begin with discussing what a ‘Smart City’ actually is…
– How would you define a ‘Smart City’?
– Which words would you associate to smart cities?
– Could you give an example of a smart city and explain why you think this city could be classified as one?

I have found a few articles which may help to get the ball rolling and inspire some thoughts, I hope they help.
1. http://www.centreforcities.org/reader/smart-cities/what-is-a-smart-city/
2. ioti.com – New Framework Helps Promote IoT Data Sharing Among Smart Cities

New Framework Helps Promote IoT Data Sharing Among Smart Cities

ioti.com

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-5

I’ve found a definition of a smart city in internetofthingsagenda.techtarget.com – What is smart city? – Definition from WhatIs.com

‘A smart city is a municipality that uses information and communication technologies to increase operational efficiency, share information with the public and improve both the quality of government services and citizen welfare.’

Regarding the words that I would use to define this type of cities, I would say words related to technology, communication, a spread of information, sustainability, collaborations…
I think that Barcelona is a good example of a smart city here in Spain. I’ve been investigating a little bit and I’ve found that this city uses sensors to monitor the traffic, which I think that is an interesting idea because nowadays it is well -known that everybody lives fast. In the article that I’ve read ( you’ll find it below ) it says that Barcelona also has invested in installing smart streetlights, expanding a free Wi-Fi in public spaces.. but the thing that most caught my attention was that they also invested in sensors to monitor not only the air but also the noise. I think this is really interesting, don’t you?
Another thing I found quite amazing was that due to the fact that Barcelona ran out of water some time ago, they decided to developed some sensors for irrigation, that will be able to predict the level of rain and also this invention will help them to conserve the water in the case they will need it.

What is smart city? – Definition from WhatIs.com

internetofthingsagenda.techtarget.com

 

·         DL-LVI-G7-1

+ ST-LVIA-G7-5 That is very interesting, thank you for sharing!

I have also found an interesting article about some techniques which are being developed in London to make it more of a ‘smart city’ – one including the invention of a new pavement which generates electricity as pedestrians walk over it!

What do you think of this initiative? Do you think it is clever way of using technology to be ‘resourceful’ and ‘sustainable’, or do you think it would cost too much for what it is worth?

Energy-Generating Pavement Just Became a Reality in London

It is also interesting that you brought up how Barcelona is trying to conserve water. There are many cities in the world which have also had to come up with their own policies of water collection and recycling, due to a lack of rainfall all year, one example being Bermuda. What do you think of this policy? Do you think other cities should adopt it too in order to become more resourceful, and more ‘smart’?

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-38222271

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-3

+ DL-LVI-G7-1
Sorry for the delay, I didn’t managed until recently to know how this worked. My name is ST-LVIA-G7-3, I am 20 years old and I am from Valencia, Spain. I’m an English Studies student from Valencia’s University. As DL-LVI-G7-1 said, I love to know about other cultures mostly because I’m half French and half Spanish, so when I found another person that has a different culture than mine, I love to know about her culture, sometimes I think I become very obsessive haha.

About my free time, I usually like to binge watch entire series in Netflix or reading that it is mostly my entire time. The best city I ever been will probably be or Montreal or Paris. Paris because obviously is a beautiful city and mostly because of the food. And Montreal because I stayed there an entire year and I loved the underground city that it was because of the snow and the winter. It was like another city within the city. Also, I had to choose to be an animal I would choose to be a lion, because of the hair I find it incredible. Also, because my zodiac sign is lion, and basically because they sleep a lot! Finally, I had chosen this topic because every city has like his own special feature that makes it unique from the others and it would be interesting to be able to know them as long as it’s possible!

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-3

+ DL-LVI-G7-1
Hi everyone! So I found another example of an Smart City and it is Valencia, my city. The city has created “Valencia al minut” which consists in showing in real time to the citizens the statistics of the city by that web. They show like the percentage of quality of air, traffic, parking lots, by circles to rent and many more.

All that information is shown in order to improve the city and to make the citizens aware of the actual situation. As well as improving the city in making it more sustainable.

Regarding London, I find the initiative of the pavement which generates electricity as pedestrians walk over it, I find it a genius idea. Because during the night it is sometimes very difficult to distinguish some parts of the pavement and if it is a sustainable idea, even better!

Finally, regarding the water in Barcelona. In Spain we are in a very difficult time regarding the saving of water. It doesn’t rain very much and everything that serves for saving water I find it very suitable. So, I think that most cities, not only in Spain should have that policy.

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-5

Wow! I’ve never heard anything like that! It looks like it has been taken from a film! It sounds very futuristic, I’m sure our grandparents would never have imagined these kinds of techniques used to improve our way of living just by walking over the street.
I really think that this is such an amazing way to improve our lifestyles. We will be helping our environment just by walking and doing our own business. As the article points out, ‘ we are very quickly going to see a seismic shift in the energy market toward renewables.’ and I believe this is a key point in order to help mother nature and climatic change-something that I think that we tend to forget about.
Regarding this way of using technology to be not only resourceful but also sustainable, I think that it will be worth, because investing in things like that, is the only way to improve our own future. I also think that human beings have paid for things that are not too worthy to pay for.. so, I think this would be such an interesting investment. Also, when it says “[v]isitors will be able to enjoy a traffic-free shopping and dining experience in an environment showcasing the latest in sustainable technologies. ” Who doesn’t want to enjoy a traffic- free shopping and dinner?!? And another interesting feature is that the surfaces are covered with a kind of paint (Airlite) that purifies the air not only of Nox gasses but also bacteria, which I think is incredible. And now…What about you? Are you all agree with this new invention or not? What do you think about it? Do you have other ideas to help our environment by using technology techniques?

 

·         DL-LVI-G7-1

+ ST-LVIA-G7-5 + ST-LVIA-G7-3 Hello ST-LVIA-G7-3, nice to meet you and thank you for your posts in the discussion!

I am glad you both found the smart pavement in London interesting, I agree that it is an amazing initiative that should be paid more attention by other cities. I think companies should spend time developing technologies such as this in order to make them cheaper to install and therefore more accessible for all. Imagine the difference it would make if something as simple as walking was contributing to the sustainability of our planet!

Concerning your question about my own ideas ST-LVIA-G7-5, I think more of a focus needs to be put on recycling. I think it is such a waste that most products we buy are packaged in plastic; plastic which often cannot be recycled! I think cities need to start improving their recycling initiatives in order to increase the amount of plastics which can be recycled, to encourage habitants to recycle and finally to encourage companies to use materials other than plastic for their packaging.

For example, I know that in Germany, they have a ‘plastic bottle deposit system’ in which customers can bring their used plastics back to a supermarket and exchange them for food vouchers to use on their shopping! This initiative really encourages people to recycle, as you can imagine, but it also prevents littering and stops people throwing the bottles in general waste.
greenmax-machine.com – Deposit Collection System in Germany Promotes Plastic Bottle Recycling

I think if other cities adopted effective policies such as this to encourage recycling then they would become much more sustainable and ‘smart’ cities.

What do you guys think about initiatives such as this?

Do you have any ideas on how to make Valencia a smarter city?

Deposit Collection System in Germany Promotes Plastic Bottle Recycling

greenmax-machine.com

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-5

I totally agree with you! Recycling is not as complex as it was a few years ago, as there are more recycling bins near our homes every day, to make it easier for us. For instance, I have to change the typical plastic water bottles for the glass ones, so they are reusable and better for my health. Have you tried it?

Wow, such an amazing idea, I think that this idea should be adopted not only in Spain but all around the world. You are not only helping the environment but also it gives you an exchange. I have a friend in Minnesota who told me that in some supermarkets of USA there are machines that if you bring for example coke cans, Redbull cans, etc, in order to recycle them, these machines give you an exchange of some cents that if you are persistent with this idea, you will be able to earn some extra money in a simple and effortless way!

And Spain is not too far away from Germany so… I’m looking forward to seeing such nice ideas here!

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-3

Hi again! I love the topic in we are currently talking about. There are a lot of things that are needed to do in the planet not only just recycling our garbage.

I loved DL-LVI-G7-1 that you had pointed out the “plastic bottle deposit system” in Germany. I think it is a genius manner to encourage people to recycle, little by little it becomes more of a routine rather than an effort in objectives like this. As in Germany, in Canada it exits more or less the same procedure. I lived in Canada for a year, and at the entrance of the supermarkets there was a machine for plastics, normally cans, in which the value of grams of plastic will be given to you as a reward in money at the entrance of the supermarket. So, at the same time you help the environment not letting that kind of hard plastic to kill our planet, you are earning some money. As I said before, it is like a little push to maintain the environment clean and to keep doing it.

Wow ST-LVIA-G7-5! I didn’t read your paragraph entirely since now and I see that in Minnesota the practice of the plastic is done in the same way as in Canada! How amazing! I bet if this particular system arrives to Spain it will become very successful because we use a lot to cans!

 

·         ST-LVIC-G7-1

Hello everyone, it is true that this topic is very inspiring and optimistic!
I care about recycling and I really think that this is the solution against our over-the-top consumption of products and energy… So knowing that cities finally offer accessible solutions to motivate everyone of us to recycle and to make the world a better and sustainable place is really enjoyable, Dark ideas about our current society are thrown into questions!
I agree that the plastic issue has to be solved, his danger being known and recognized by everyone. The German and the Canadian cases are amazing examples of progress!
I searched about the city where I’m from: Nice, France. And I was pleased to read that she received financial aid to build a building named “recyclerie”, welcoming recyclable wastes! In this place, we can fix, recycle, and offer a space to expose to people what is recycling, and also to debate around issues such as shared gardens, for instance.
In my opinion, those spaces need to exist in every city to have a significant impact on people. Don’t you think ?
And I’ll just add that every example concerning energy creation thanks to human natural energy are such incredible ideas and I can’t imagine what will exist in the future!

 

·         DL-LVI-G7-1

I am glad you are all so enthusiastic about recycling and liked the plastic bottle deposit system. Thank you for sharing some of your ideas and extra knowledge on the subject!

ST-LVIC-G7-1, your idea of having more gardens within cities is definitely a good idea. The development of smart cities is all about making them work more efficiently, and this initiative makes sure we use any wasted space to benefit the environment and make the city more sustainable.

There are many cities which are starting to develop these gardens, and this article shows an example of how Lebanon is starting to plant gardens up the vertical sides of it’s buildings.

govtech.com – Vertical Gardens Growing in Smart Cities

What do you think the benefits of this idea are?

Are there any other examples you could find of cities developing more gardens in unusual places in order to make better use of waste space?

Vertical Gardens Growing in Smart Cities

govtech.com

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-5

Hi ST-LVIC-G7-1!
I totally think that Spain should adopt also the idea of the building called “recyclerie” although it is it is necessary to receive financial support also.

I strongly believe that these kinds of buildings will provide not only information but also examples to all the citizens will be the clue to success in recycling.

Regarding the idea of developing these gardens in the cities, I think it would be an amazing idea: not only because they will be providing the city a touch of fresh air in the middle of the traffic and air pollution, which I think is extremely important, but also because it will be good for citizens who want to relax in those gardens and change the air they are used to breath.

Also, I think that it is interesting that this technology is able to make these gardens produce strawberries, tomatoes, etc., and as the article points out ‘they are starting applications in agriculture again-urban farms’ Is incredible, isn’t it?

I’ve found some examples of cities which have adopted these gardens: Barcelona and Badalona (which I had no idea), Madrid, Paris… and if you search the images you will be amazed! They are incredible and so inspiring!!

 

·         ST-LVIC-G7-1

Well, good question to think about…

It seems to me that those gardens will definitely make people feel more implicated into this green cause. Because when you live in a city, you can maybe think that you can’t help the situation concerning pollution and consequences on humans.
So it is a great concept to mix town and nature, make people aware and closer to this global issue and to create a balance between pollution and clean air, as ST-LVIA-G7-5 said!

But I look forward to read your opinion because I feel I’m missing other important benefits…

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-6

+ DL-LVI-G7-1 Hi everyone, I’m sorry for talking so late but I completely forgot. As you can see I’m a disaster hahaha! Well, my name is ST-LVIA-G7-6 and I’m 21years old. I live in a small town called Els Poblets. I love spending time watching football with my father, it’s one of the best things! For me the best country is Italy, everything there is beautiful and also the food 😉 And I think that if I would be an animal, I would choose to be a dog because they are loyal and that’s important.
I had heard about this topic but I have never investigated enough to talk about it. I am so interested in all those gardens that can be constructed in buildings and all the things that can be done to reduce pollution and to make our cities more intelligent. It is a big step trying to do it but I think is necessary to adapt it.

I have read all your posts before this one and I agree with all of you, there are many possibilities that we have to promote but it is necessary that our governments are able to adapt cities to make countries more self-sufficient and cleaner.

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-3

I agree with all of you, these new gardens have to be an initiative to help citizens and citizens need help to grow up this smart gardens. As I read in one article, I found a very interesting quote: ” For smart cities to reach their full potential, they need to focus on the citizens living in them, not just technology.” That sums up perfectly what we are think about.

There is a very interesting initiative in Paris called “Madame Mayor, I have an idea” which will be allocate 500 euros to projects proposed only by citizens between 2014 and 2020. A massive idea with 21,000 votes is an idea to develop 41 vertical gardens projects across the city. As this picture shows below.

Many other projects that will began to be introduced in the city are mostly the ones we have talked about earlier as setting up recycling stations, gardens in schools and co/working spaces for students and entrepreneurs.

The most important thing I have found out, is that budgets in this project have been divided among 20 districts in Paris based on their economic need. So with the poorer and outer suburbs they will allocate 15 times the amount put aside for central Paris. I find it very accurate! What do you think?

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zwrq6-3SLWvWxGu-nwF6qSAYfieGRdhJvzTlx60H6s7AjT5lcGrq_uwjQYrFy5q55g-ZdYWa8T4

 

 

·         DL-LVI-G7-1

Thank you for researching that ST-LVIA-G7-3, and I think that is a very interesting initiative!

I like what Paris is trying to do through this project, as I personally believe it is large and over-polluted cities such as Paris which may be causing the most issues for the environment. So, by encouraging the large cities to become more smart, other cities may follow their initiatives and ideas. I believe this is the best way to create change.

This video explains the Paris Smart City Project – it discusses what the city is planning on doing in order to try and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2050! Please watch the video and let me know what you all think of the idea. Do you think this is the future for all large cities?
youtube.com – Paris 2050 Smart City Project

Paris 2050 Smart City Project

·         ST-LVIA-G7-7

Hello everyone! I’m sorry I did not write anything before, but for personal reasons it has not been possible for me to do so.
Anyway, my name is ST-LVIA-G7-7, I am 20 years old and I am from Valencia, Spain. I also love learning about other cultures and watch the differences we can find between them.
I like to spend my free time meeting my friends and having fun with them. When you start university and you stop being as much time as you like with your closest friends because of the different careers chosen, you start really appreciating every time you are with them. Moreover, in my free time I also enjoy it alone, watching TV series and get away from other things.
Although I have visited a few countries and cities I cannot decide which of them is the best. All of them are beautiful, with nice people and incredible food!
If I could be any animal I think I would choose to be a wolf.

Most of the topics were interesting, but this one really called my attention so I can know more about the Smart cities and how people have improved some places with original ideas.

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-7

Hi! Me again! I’m fascinated with the things you all have found. Until now, what I understand as “Smart City” was based on a technologically advanced city, which used technology more frequently and had great advances in other areas such as the economy and society. But it is also encouraging to know the concern of the people towards the environment and to have found projects from these cities that also work against the global warming.

As we all know, the planet is sick. People are still not aware (despite the fact that every day they are more concerned) that if we do not stop polluting, everything will change in a short time, and of course to worst. Better said, everything is already changing and we can see it in extreme weather changes or natural disasters.

This is why the projects that you have found in different articles are very encouraging. In addition to providing many advances in technology with a good use of this, would make cities very different sites without losing the charm of each.

Anyway, I tend to think that not everything is nice. Probably, although people try to bring lasting sustainability, I think there are and will be several difficulties to overcome for a long time. Do you know or can you imagine any difficulty that can be found in these projects?

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-6

+ DL-LVI-G7-1 Hello everyone! I think that in a future having that kind of green cities will be amazing and the way cities will change. We are talking about all those big cities as Paris but, what about Valencia? it is true that it has changed abruptly from 10 years ago, and we have like “another” city more ecological.

I have found an article about how Valencia is adapting to the new era, and the most important how will change. The article is in Spanish but I think that will be useful to have another idea.

I know that years ago they introduced the ‘Valenbici’ that is a way to reduce CO2, but there are still people who do not use and prefer to use their own cars. Also the vacilities of bus or subway. I think that many of you use these transports, do you know another transport that we do not have in Valencia and we can introduce?

Another thing that I have been talking with a friend is to reuse rainwater for dishwashing and thus reduce water consumption, it is all a matter of researching and finding ways to reduce consumption.

What do you think about this? Do you think that is useful or it is something that is not going to be adapted?
La estrategia de València como ‘smart city’ se convierte en referente nacional

valenciaplaza.com

 

 

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-6

+ ST-LVIA-G7-7 Hello again! As you say ST-LVIA-G7-7, everything is not going to be nice, I think that one difficulty maybe would be the big quantities of money, a country would spend, but I think that the main purpose is nice and is the best option to protect our world, because we don’t have a second option or a planet ‘B’.
I think that there are more advantages than disadvantages, but it is true that is hard to transform a completely city into a green one. The Administration has to do an amount of work in technology, also they have to look for services that want to collaborate to create a better city. Not all the cities are able to introduce this new devices due to the high cost this have.
But as I said above, I think that it is necessary to change our vision of the world, and I think that it is a reality that in a way we are being more ecological, well we do not have another option, we have to repair the damage we have caused and despite the elevated cost we have to introduce little by little new technologies.

Am I sure that there are other difficulties, do you know others??
·         ST-LVIA-G7-7

+ ST-LVIA-G7-6 I completely agree with what you said, ST-LVIA-G7-6. It will be a challenge to start a plan in which everything ends up being more ecological and green because as you have just said, people would have to invest a lot of money. Furthermore, many people still don’t understand the urgency of the situation and may not want that state’s money get invested in this projects. As you said, the projects are quite expensive, at least it would be at the beginning, but when it starts to be normalized I think it would be cheaper to do this kind of eco-friendly things.

On the other hand, another problem we can see in smart cities is that although they are more ecological, give more importance to CO2, water among others; they put it behind and as less primordial than security and technological improvements. This is a problem because the time and money that is invested in these areas is not invested in helping the environment. In other words, I do not say that tengology and security are not important, because they are. However, they should have well balanced the time that is invested in each thing. Not most of the time in one and much less than what is needed in another.

How do you think we could solve this problem? Do you think are more important the projects who care about the environment than our own security, stable economy for everyone and equal rights?

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-3

+ ST-LVIA-G7-7
Hello girls! I find very interesting the question you asked us ST-LVIA-G7-7. I totally I agree with you in that government invests more time and money in things that are not that important in this moment such as gardens or apps in smartphones to locate where we are and things like that.

I find that in such projects like this one for “Smart Cities”, I personally think, that to become a truthful smart city we have to accomplish and to upgrade our city, and all those over the world possibly, to create a better place regarding contamination. It is such a big problem right now, Europe is having serious issues regarding that and it’s time to start doing something.

So, as you pointed out before, the effort, money and time I think that should be invested better in improving the CO2 in the air, and the contamination above the other things that are not that necessary. Because taking care of the pollution is taking care of ourselves because our health is directly related to it.

Even if there are cities as Berlin and London that do not accept cars in the center of the city, or have to pay a to enter in case of London, the other capital cities in the world must to have the same. If we don’t stop now, how will be the future like?

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-5

Hi friends! I also find very interesting the question ST-LVIA-G7-7 just pointed out, and obviously, I agree with ST-LVIA-G7-3 in that our government usually invests a large amount of money in things that are not necessary or at least, not as necessary as it is to take care of our environment.
Another thing is that ST-LVIA-G7-7 just said is a universal truth: ‘They should have well balanced the time that is invested in each thing” which I think this may be the problem, they do not have this balanced time which I believe is extremely important in order to make things right. We have to bear in mind that we are talking about our own health.. so governments need to make sure that they are investing not only the time invested in each thing but also the money they decide to invest in these things.
To conclude, regarding what ST-LVIA-G7-3 just said about those cities such as Berlin and London that do not accept cars in their centers, I think that all Europe and other continents should have the same policy. And If not, they should have like ‘weeks without cars inside town’ or months… I don’t know If I am making myself clear, but what I try to say is that If they don’t adopt completely these ideas, they could at least try a little period of time. What do you think?

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-7

I find interesting everything you both have said and the measures that some countries take to avoid polluting the atmosphere. Concretely, on the issue of not letting cars through the center or having to pay for it seems to me a good measure. As ST-LVIA-G7-5 said, other countries in the world could follow these measures or create “X days can not use car or motorcycle” plans. In any case, with the technological developments that are being created, we can already find electric cars with which air pollution is non-existent. Although it would be very beneficial for everyone to have these cars, they are very expensive nowadays and few people are willing to have one.

Now that we can say that we have technology on our side, we know that we can use it to solve what we have been destroying for so many years, the planet. If we do not put all of our part there will be no future, or at least, it will be like these futuristic movies where you do not see a single plant outside a house and the rest of the places are desert, or a large part ends up flooded by water.

There is the opportunity to have projects of “Smart Cities” and they are already being carried out. However, do you think that everyone will end up doing their part to take care of nature?

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-6

+ ST-LVIA-G7-7 Hello again! I agree with both of you. We have to look for measures to protect the world, despite that these are too expensive, there are other “economic measures”. But I have to say that the smart cities are beneficial, not only with the atmosphere but also is beneficial in terms of economics. As an article that I have read, the author mentions that: “Subsidizing new technologies and economic paradigms will save money as compared to building out rail or other public transport infrastructure.” It is fantastic to build a smart city and it is not as expensive as we think, we spend so much money in other things that are not important but when the question is to save the world, we prefer to look to another place.

Well ST-LVIA-G7-7, I am going to give my opinion about the question you have asked. I do not know if our government is going to provide all the measures that are needed to rebuild our cities but I have to say that not only governments but also current people as you and me have to try to adapt ourselves and start to collaborate, using more the public transport and recycle in our homes. We have to set an example and show that we are interested in achieving these magnificent cities that in the future will be a reality and not just a dream.

I attach the link so if you want you can observe that is not as expensive as we think! 🙂 Enjoy Easter!

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-6

I have forgotten to attach the link

Economic Benefits Of A Smart City | Smart & Resilient Cities

smartresilient.com

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-7

+ ST-LVIA-G7-6 I agree with you, it is not only the government who has to change some things and give more importance to the environment, but also people in their day to day lifes should recycle as something so usual that no longer seem hard. It would be proof that we really care about pollution and fight against it, instead of looking to another place.

On the other hand, I found it very interesting what you mention about the “Smart Cities”. They will also be regulated by a stable economy. I think this is very important because we live in a kind of society where the economy is one of the great pillars. This is why a stable economy could help us invest in important things like the environment, without suffering so much for thinking that there is not enough money. In the same way, it would be proved with stable economy that the money is not wasted in the whims of the government, but it would be used for projects of the creation of “Smart Cities”.

Do you think that a stable and good economy would make some of the projects easier and even cheaper? What do you think about that many people do not try to do anything to help the environment?

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-6

+ ST-LVIA-G7-7 Hello again! As you may know I am not a professional in economics, but I think that every country is better if their economy is good. Also, we have to look for affordable projects at the very beginning and when we have enough money try to do another expensive things. I remember one post that I have read in this group project and is to do vertical gardens, that will be amazing and I think that this is not as expensive as other things we have mentioned above. It is true that in some big cities are more gardens that in small ones, so they should start with those little ones and little by little be implementing more and more technological devices that are beneficial to all of us.

Well, now I am going to answer the second question you have asked. I think that anyone can do whatever they want in their home but the real problem is there. Here in my small city there was nothing to do a good recycling and this year, the city council has built some garbage bins and has given to us many recyclable bags and that is so important. Many of us have not been aware about the importance of it since we have seen many icebergs melting. So, it is necessary to recycle but it is important not to forget that is the government who has to facilitate things and little by little introducing new technological devices.

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-4

+ DL-LVI-G7-1 Hello everyone. First of all, I would like to apologize for the huge delay with which I have been able to access this discussion group. I have had some technical problems with my Google account that did not allow me to connect properly, or even receive emails at all. Luckily, I have been able to solve it and even if it is hasty, I will try to share my impressions of what has been said.
The first thing I’m going to do is introduce myself. My name is Alex, I’m from a small town called Manuel, from the province of Valencia, and I’m a student of English Studies. I have always loved languages, especially English, and that is why I decided to devote myself to deepening my knowledge about this language and English culture in general. I would also like to answer the questions that were asked to know us a little better. When I have some free time, I love going out with my friends for a walk, dinner, or going to the movies. Although it is quite difficult to match our schedules and commitments, the truth is that we take full advantage of the moments we spend together. I also like to listen to music, draw and be informed about everything that happens around me.
The best city I’ve visited is London, although I must admit that I’ve only been there a couple of times. I love its multiculturalism, its cultural and entertainment offer and its charm. Regarding the question related to animals, if I could choose to be one of them, I would definitely be an eagle because I would love to be able to fly! Finally, I chose the subject of smart cities because I am passionate about technology and all the advances it provides. I believe that technology helps us to have a more comfortable and easier life in general.

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-4

+ DL-LVI-G7-1 Hello everyone! Since I was not able to join the discussion group earlier, I could only read what you were saying and I wrote my answers and waited until I could publish them here, so I am going to post them now if you allow me!

In my opinion, an intelligent city is one that is able to improve the lives of its citizens, or at least make it easier, thanks to the use of new technologies. By this I mean not only to offer amenities to the inhabitants, but also to improve the level of pollution and degradation of the city to make it a much more sustainable place. For this reason, some of the words that come to my mind when I think of this concept are “technology”, “advances”, “sustainability”, “environmentalism”, “green areas”, “recycling”,”renewable energies”, etc.

As already mentioned, there are several cities that are examples of smart cities, but Valencia (as it is the one that I know best) is the one I would like to highlight in this section. What I like is that it is having a fast progression, going from number 73 to 63 of the smart cities ranking in just 2 years. Valencia has no less than 45 services that citizens can follow online (including traffic alerts, medical services, etc.), and the savings achieved by digitizing many administrative procedures goes up to 140000 euros, which I consider impressive. I’m sure this city will keep rising in that list, which would only be good news for everyone!

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-4

+ ST-LVIA-G7-5 + ST-LVIA-G7-3 + DL-LVI-G7-1
Hi! I found the plastic recycling system in Germany extremely interesting! I believe that proposals like that are just what our society needs to continue advancing in citizen awareness in relation to recycling. Traveling through several areas I have realized that Spain, although it has advanced in recent years, is not at the level of other countries in Europe and the rest of the world in terms of social awareness about recycling and pollution. Still, Valencia is the main region of Spain when it comes to levels of recycling of plastics, and its progression is upward for years, according to AIMPLAS (Technological Institute of Plastic).

However, not only is it important to recycle when it comes to maintaining the environment, but we should also focus on how to improve the level of pollution in relation to the use of fuels. In my opinion, Valencia should take full advantage of the benefit of having many hours of sunlight per year. Converting sunlight into energy would help reduce dependence on fossil fuels, which would help the environment. I would like us to continue advancing until we have an almost total pollution reduction capacity, as in this town in Japan:

theguardian.com – Environment: Kamikatsu, Japan’s zero-waste village | World news | The Guardian

 

Environment: Kamikatsu, Japan’s zero-waste village | World news | The Guardian

theguardian.com

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-4

+ DL-LVI-G7-1

Thank you DL-LVI-G7-1 for your contribution! I was delighted to see the project of Paris in relation to the long-term sustainability of the city and the environment. I have always felt admiration for the awareness of the French in this area, and taking into account that France is the most visited country by tourists from all over the world year after year, it must be appreciated that they take into account how to improve the city so as not to be affected by the massification of people (inhabitants and tourists) and its effects in terms of sustainability.

I definitely think that this is the path to follow for all the big cities over the world. However, I must add that there are commercial interests that hinder the level of commitment of some countries. For example, although Germany is a pioneer in recycling (as we have seen with the plastics recycling system), it is also true that it is a country with great economic dependence in the automotive sector, and it is the European country that is doing less to accelerate the ban on driving motorized vehicles with high CO2 emissions. That is why I believe it is important to continue advancing in the development of new technologies and ideas that allow a definitive transition towards renewable energies.

 

·         ST-LVIA-G7-4

+ DL-LVI-G7-1 + ST-LVIA-G7-5 + ST-LVIA-G7-3 + ST-LVIA-G7-6 + ST-LVIA-G7-7
Hi again, everybody! Regarding the issue raised by ST-LVIA-G7-7 and which you were talking about, I admit that you are right about the level of urgency, so to speak, that have the different areas in which the budget is invested. Maybe an specific app to locate certain points in the city is not something very urgent, but from my point of view, what really makes a city “smart” is not only to achieve a good level of sustainability and recycling, but also the use of new technologies to help people have a much more comfortable life. In that sense, the development of applications or any other digital service that saves work or procedures to the citizen is something that I consider very positive and in a certain way, also necessary although it is not so urgent.

We live in the digital era and we must not forget that there are people who have not grown using technology at the same level that we young people have done, so the more you promote the development of services that improve the uses of technology throughout the city, the more you will help the medium and long-term integration of these people in our society.

The most clear example for me is the way technology can help people with disabilities to immerse themselves in a city without feeling helpless or vulnerable. Think about blind people using their smartphones to be fully aware of what they have in front of them when walking, for example. I think this and many other cases are the proof that technology is a powerful ally to integrate.

 

·         DL-LVI-G7-1

Wow, hello everyone and thank you for your replies, it was nice to read so many opinions and different ideas being proposed!

First of all, I would like to remind you all that tomorrow will be the last day of the discussion, so I’m going to summarise everything we have discussed in this post and if you would like to add anything please do by tomorrow 🙂

I hope that you have learnt a lot about the concept of Smart Cities – what they are, their advantages/disadvantages, and potentially what the future may hold for them. At the beginning of the discussion we started off by trying to define a smart city, and although we discovered that there isn’t a definition which is set in stone, we decided that it could be loosely defined as a a city which is ‘sustainable’ and uses current technology to improve its communication and efficiency.

After trying to define the concept, we then looked a bit further into what the concept consists of, and I was pleased to see so many ideas being presented throughout the discussion! We spoke about a variety of issues including recycling policies (such as the one in Germany that we looked at), transport issues (such as the congestion charge policy in London that people have mentioned), modern technology and how it can be used to improve the efficiency of a city (such as the pavement which creates its own energy in london), the idea of water collection and storage to make use of the natural environment (such as the policy in Barcelona and the policy in Malta) and the idea of being a ‘green’ city (such as the vertical gardens). We have also looked at the future of smart cities, in particular the project proposed for Paris which should be finished by 2050! However, we have also suggested our own ideas which we think should be installed in the future to improve the sustainability of our cities to reduce the harmful effect we are having on our planet and environment at the moment.

I would like to to thank you all for the time you have spent researching and posting in the discussion to further our knowledge on the topic – I have learnt so much and I hope you have too!

I liked the examples discussed in the most recent posts, in particular the discussions about the policies which ban the usage of cars in cities, and the article ST-LVIA-G7-4 posted about the “0-waste city” in Japan.

I believe that policies which ban the usage of cars between certain times or on certain days would force people to find alternatives to travelling – such as public transport, walking, cycling, or even electric cars. I think is so important, as often people could be more involved and active in helping the environment, but are too lazy or would rather take the easier route, but this attitude is what has resulted in the climate change and environmental damage that our planet is suffering from at the moment. So, I agree with you that this policy should definitely be considered by more cities.

Considering Kamikatsu, the city in Japan, I really loved reading about this place. To me, this city is setting an example to how much effort every city should be putting in. Of course, living in a city of 0 waste, using only recycled goods would be difficult but it is policies such as these which will force people to care more about our environment, and the fact this city can do it is proof that we should be putting in much more effort to protect our environment and become smarter cities! It also shows that most of the governments around the world care more about economy than saving the planet.

In the future I hope more cities learn to follow suit and implement harsh, yet necessary policies such as the two I have discussed in this comment, as it is becoming obvious that these harsh policies may be the only resort left for us to fix what we have already damaged.

Please share your final ideas about what you have learnt in the discussion and what you think the future holds for smart cities.

Thank you again and I hope you have a wonderful Easter!