Smart
cities for ageing societies
– multidisciplinary seminar
The
aim of the on-line seminar is to analyze the concept of smart cities in
relation to active ageing. The rationale behind is that ageing is the major
challenge faced by cities today and onto the future, in particular in
combination with the current and possible future pandemics and the climate
change. We want to analyze interactions within the ageing city, which is the
first step for planning new policies of motivating and enabling elderly people
to work and to remain an active part of a community. In order to do it, we
offer a series of research seminars, in which students and scientists
interested in ageing and smart city can meet and discuss problems they are investigating,
show their work, identify potential research problems and listen to the
presentations of invited experts.
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ZOOM link for the meetings: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83389827465
Schedule for the academic year 2021/2022: The seminars take
place on Wednesdays, from 9:30 till 11:00. October 20th, 2021 Grzegorz Kula University of Warsaw “Smart cities and ageing – problems and
solutions. Introduction” Abstract: This presentation serves as an introduction to this year’s series. We
will briefly discuss the evolution of cities, trying to identify their
current problems and their sources. The particular focus will be on the
population ageing and its consequences for cities and societies. Smart city concept
can serve as a solution to some of the problems and the way to reduce
negative consequences of ageing. However, in itself it is a source of new
problems for the elderly, caused in particular by the digital divide.
Overcoming it is a huge challenge, made more difficult by the pandemics. October 27th, 2021 Piotr Wójcik University of Warsaw “Predicting intra-urban well-being from space with non-linear machine
learning”
Abstract: There is a growing need to analyze welfare at an intra-urban level
because cities often evince stark divisions. It is therefore important to
identify inequalities within them. However, data are hardly available – or
very expensive. The purpose of this article is to test whether non-linear
machine learning algorithms provide more accurate predictions of intra-city
well-being than the linear models. In addition, we aim to check if freely
available and easily accessible data from Open Street Map offer an
alternative to high-resolution daytime satellite images from Google Maps in
accurately predicting well-being on a local level. Inspired by the Local
Human Development Index (UNDP, 2012) we construct a well-being index based on
three dimensions: health, education, and welfare. Potential predictors of
well-being include indicators related to the urbanization rate, access to
natural amenities, the transportation system, and access to public transport.
Four non-linear machine learning algorithms (support vector regression with
polynomial and radial kernel, random forest and xgboost)
are compared with the linear LASSO approach for the 18 districts of Warsaw,
Poland. In addition, we apply innovative tools of explainable artificial
intelligence (XAI) to identify the most important predictors of well-being
(measuring model-agnostic feature importance) and to disclose the shape of
relationships between well-being and its most important predictors. We
conclude that the application of non-linear machine learning algorithms to
modelling well-being not only allows us to reach higher predictive accuracy,
but also to better identify and explain the impact of its predictors. November 10th, 2021 Szymon Horosiewicz Lublin Municipal Office, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Department “Human Smart Cities - development of the smart cities concept within generation
3.0”
Abstract: The smart
city concept has become extremely popular in recent years and is increasingly
reflected in the activities of many Polish cities. However, approaches to
smart city are evolving, changing their definitions or assumptions. The
period when cities implemented any technology available on the market only to
build their "intelligence" is already gone. New development concepts are not so much
focused on the technological aspect as on the human aspect which, according
to the concept of human smart city 3.0, is the most important element and
pillar of the development of modern cities. This
presentation is an introduction to the debate on building a modern smart city
in accordance with the smart city 3.0 assumptions. It will present the
philosophy of smart city 3.0 adopted by the City of Lublin, as well as the
process of building a new development strategy within the project "Let's
think Lublin together. We are participatory in creating the intelligent
Lublin 2030 Strategy". The process
of building strategic documents in Polish cities was of purely expert
character and was usually created with the minimum participatory framework.
The process carried out in the City of Lublin reverses this trend by
implementing modern participatory tools. This allows, on the one hand, to
reach a diverse group of city citizens, giving them the status of co-authors
within a form of deliberative democracy and, on the other hand, to examine
the most important local needs and challenges. As a
result of this socially oriented action, based on the idea of participation,
a strategic document will be created that is a synthesis of needs and
opportunities resulting from the organic development of the city, the
projection of the ideas of its users and trends - conditioning the future
direction of the city's development for the next 10 years.. November 17th, 2021
Katarzyna Nosal Hoy Krakow Transport
Authority “The Climate Quarter project in Krakow - implementing the idea of a
15-minute city”
Abstract: The Krakow City is implementing the Climate Quarter, a groundbreaking
urban project, in the area of Kazimierz and Grzegórzki.
The project includes activities related to mobility, quality of public space,
greenery and revitalization. The Climate Quarter is the beginning of changes
in thinking, planning, and designing the public space of our city. This is
reflected in the integration of the development of the area and
infrastructural changes, transport as well as land use projects. The human
dimension is also important – creating new relations and taking care of the
existing ones, shaping changes in the surrounding space together, with the
participation of its users, and with the support of the city. One of the main
assumptions of the project is the implementation of the idea of a 15-minute
city. It will be possible to meet all residents’ needs in the
neighborhood without unnecessary travel destinations will be easily reached
on foot or by bicycle. The city, by implementing the Climate Quarter, wants
to counteract climate change and protect the environment and urban space.
Individual activities are implemented with the involvement of residents and
other local stakeholders, which allows building awareness of the need for
changes and meeting the expectations of local communities. The project
activities will also help to reduce CO2 emissions, which have a negative
impact on health and quality of life. Almost 1/3 of the residents of this
area are people of retirement age (this indicator for the population of
Krakow is much lower). Seniors were involved in the public participation
process and planned project activities will help to increase their life
quality. November 24th, 2021
Christiane Schwieren Heidelberg
University “Behavioral Economics and
Smart Cities in Ageing Societies” Abstract: Behavioral
economics studies how "real" human beings react to incentives and
make decisions, both individually and socially. There is substantial
heterogeneity in decision behavior, and one factor influencing this
heterogeneity is age and/or cohort. The lecture will give an introduction in
behavioral economics results and methods of relevance for our topic, and then
focus on aspects of relevance for smart city development.
December 1st, 2021 - This seminar is cancelled.
Monica Pia Cecilia Paiella INPS-Research
Center December 8th, 2021
Zbigniew Szkop
Environmental Economics Expert, UNEP/GRID-Warsaw
Centre University of Warsaw “Economics of ecosystem services provided
by urban trees” Abstract: Urban trees provide many ecosystem
services. They include, among others: energy conservation, aesthetics,
recreation, stormwater control, UV radiation protection, microclimate
control, noise reduction, air purification and carbon control. It is
important to conduct studies on the ability of urban trees to provide these
ecosystem services and their value, as quantification can raise environmental
awareness and help policymakers better manage urban greenery to achieve the
desired environmental improvements. December 15th, 2021
Michael Donaldson
Commissioner for
Digital Innovation, Electronic Administration and Good Governance Barcelona
City Council “Technological humanism: the case of Barcelona”
December 22nd, 2021
Walter Castelnovo
Università dell'Insubria “Citizens as providers in the cocreation of Smart cities”
Abstract: The smart city concept has been around for more than 40 years now, and
many different definitions of the concept have been suggested in both the
academic and grey literature. Although for a long time it has been dominated
by an instrumentalist and technology-oriented perspective, already from its
inception a different and more social science-oriented perspective can be
identified within the smart city literature. Under this perspective, concepts
like participation and co-production/co-creation, that refer to the active
role of citizens (and other urban actors) in the development of smart cities,
are core concepts. In the lecture, the role of citizens as “resource
providers” for the development of smart cities will be discussed to show how
to take advantage of the citizens’ contribution to the success of smart city
initiatives, interaction-defined and participation-based governance
infrastructures should be implemented that “return power to the people”.
January 26th, 2022 Workshop with students’ presentations: !Please note that this
meeting starts at 9:00! This is a tentative schedule assuming 15
minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for discussion. It is possible that some
discussions will take less time. 9:00 – 9:05 –
Introduction 9:05 – 9:30 – Gustaw Kapczyński “Smart
cities and ideologies” 9:30 – 9:55 – Aleksandra Papierska " How does your city influence your
Health" 9:55 – 10:20
– Carolina Alves De Oliveira “Mental
health and smart cities” 10:20 – 10:45
– Natalia Sławek
“The problem of loneliness in older people and potential solutions to address
it” 10:45 – 10:55
– Break 10:55 – 11:20
– Jakub Parol “Elderly
people and public transport in Warsaw” 11:20 – 11:45
– Jingwen Xie “How 5G helps aging societies” 11:45 – 12:10
– Krystian Wysocki “Title to be announced” 12:10 – 12:15 – Conclusion of this year seminar Schedule from the academic year 2020/2021: November 18th, 2020 Hans-Werner Wahl Heidelberg University “Beyond Virology:
Psychosocial Aspects of Aging in the Corona Pandemic” Abstract: After
some hope during this summer, COVID-19's Second Wave is challenging us now in
the fall and wintertime once again and possible even stronger than in spring
- as researchers, as citizens, and societies. As a psychologist with interest
in lifespan development and aging as well as in the role of smart/digital
technology, I will follow two goals in this presentation. First, I will
concentrate on issues of psychosocial adaptation (e.g., life satisfaction)
during the Corona crisis, always driven by an age-differential point of view.
Overall, as it seems and although older adults are marked as "the"
risk group, they seem to get better psychologically along with the crisis
than younger age groups such as those in mid life.
However, those in long-term care deserve quite a different view and have seen
risky social isolation in many countries in the first lock-down phase, the
consequences of which (all-cause mortality, cognitive deterioration, apathy
etc.) are still hard to evaluate based on sound data. In parallel, linking
the Corona issue still closer to the "Smart Cities for Ageing
Societies" theme, digital technologies, (artificially) intelligent
media, and robotics have seen a strong momentum internationally as a helpful
and totally underused means at different levels in the Corona pandemic, such
as a direct infection protector (e.g., assistive robots helping in meal
services without risk of infection), social connector and social isolation
counteracting force (with family, friends, health actors), and relief for
professional and informal care providers (e.g., robots doing COVID-testing at
clinic entrances or even in public areas). I hope to serve with this input a
general discussion in differentiating in how smart technologies may help
coping with the pandemic versus what still is unrealistic and wishful
thinking. December 2nd, 2020 Magdalena Kubecka Vice-president of On-site
Foundation (Fundacja "Na miejscu"),
Project "Toilet for me too" Coordinator in Poland “Accessible toilets and the matter of dignity of elderly” Abstract: One of the things that stops
older and disabled people from going out is the lack of toilets that are
publicly available and accessible. The accessibility of flexible and smart
toilets in the (semi-)public space is crucial but still limited in many
countries. In general, people need to use the toilet 4 to 8 times each day,
including when they are out of home. Half of us needs to use the toilet
immediately (in 1 to 5 minutes). Older and disabled people need to use the
toilet even more often. The project I am going to present addresses the
needs of such people and their caregivers when using the toilet outside their
homes in semi-public places by providing a supportive ICT-enhanced toilet adapting
to the individual user's needs. We are
working on a toilet system with ICT-based, adaptive physical stand-up and
control support with integrated safety features. It will allow people with
movement or mobility restrictions, who currently require human assistance, to
use the toilet independently and safely. This is the next step towards
barrier-free toilets in public spaces for the disabled and elderly. The project T4ME2 is funded in part by AAL
and national research funding agencies. AAL is the funding association behind
Toilet For Me. AAL is a European programme funding
innovation that keeps people connected, healthy, active and happy into our
old age. They support the development of products and services that make a
real difference to people's lives – for those facing some of the challenges
of ageing and for those who care for older people if they need help. December 16th, 2020 Giancarlo Manzi Università degli Studi di
Milano, Italy “The elders' urban mobility in Covid-19 times: the
case of the "BikeMi" bike-sharing service
in Milan, Italy” Abstract: In the modern “smart” transportation
framework, the sharing mobility is becoming more and more popular in all its
forms. Among shared micro mobility services, fixed bike-sharing is
(re)gaining popularity as a mean of transportation both convenient and
environmental-prone. Consequently more and more cities around the world are
developing bike-sharing systems in urban areas to solve congestion problems
and to let citizens be ‘greener’. Less has been said about the relationship
between senior people and bike sharing mobility systems, especially when
faced to an increasing number of technology innovations for their use. The
Covid-19 emergency has spread even more controversy about the interpretation
of the elders’ usage of bike sharing systems to avoid contagion. Increasing
senior usage of bikes and, more specifically, bike-sharing systems is part of
the developing of a greener, smarter and safer city, especially in those
societies where (i) there are no “ideal” cultural
roots for a wide use of the bicycle and (ii) the number of elders exceeds by
far that of youngsters. In this talk we will present a data analysis of the
docking station-based bike-sharing system “BikeMi”
in Milan, Italy in the period of the Covid-19 pandemic, focusing on the usage
behavior of senior people and their technological gap when using the service. January 13th, 2021 Grzegorz Kula University of Warsaw “Big Data, Artificial Intelligence,
and the sustainable development of cities… in the (post) COVID-19 era” Abstract: Today, more people live in urban than in
rural areas. Hence, the main challenges of our time relate to cities and
their sustainable development. Due to the collection of Big Data, the
development of Artificial Intelligence algorithms, 5G broadband data
transmission technology, the Internet of Things, and mutual communication
between machines, cities are becoming more and more intelligent. The vision
of a future in which millions of devices, cameras, and sensors constantly
monitor, analyze, and regulate city life is by no means a distant prospect.
Indeed, some of its elements were already introduced to cope with COVID-19
pandemics. The use of technology allows for the improved connectivity of
rapidly increasing urban populations, promotes the creation of smarter and
safer modes of transportation, and promises better traffic, congestion,
energy and water management. Technology alone is not enough to make a
city better – its use must meet the real needs of urban residents. Nor should
technology be exclusive, for not everyone has access to the internet or can
use it. Ensuring greater social integration and inclusion, i.e., involving
all citizens in the benefits of modern technologies, is a big challenge. It
is also important to define an ethical framework for devising solutions that
use Big Data and Artificial Intelligence to reduce the risk of unauthorized
use. In the context of the rapid ageing of the EU population, increased
access and affordability of services aimed at seniors is of great importance.
An important barrier to the development of this type of technology is that of
the still high costs and lack of regulation. Low deployment costs (also in
the environmental-impact sense) are a key factor for the sustainability of
smart city solutions. Such solutions also need to be safe, reliable,
scalable, inclusive, and transparent to citizens. The smart city may
therefore offer a number of benefits in the management
and optimization of traditional public services. January 27th, 2021 Sion Jones HelpAge International “Older peoples voices in urban communities” Abstract: Drawing on
research conducted in Mexico City, Delhi and Nairobi, HelpAge
International will share insights from focus groups and survey work with
older people in low income communities – what are their experiences of ageing
in an urban environment, and how do they differ according to intersecting
identities? The session will look at the challenges and priorities
highlighted by older people themselves living in income poor communities
across the world. March 10th, 2021 Elisa Pozo Menéndez Researcher in group
ABIO (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid), architect and urban planner
specialized in Sustainability and Environment. “A methodology
for sustainable urban renovation for healthy ageing. UNI-Health Project.” Abstract: Health has
become a major issue in the last year, but the truth is that Covid-19 impact
is "just" highlighting the major inequalities in our territories. A
methodology for developing healthy urban environments adapted to the Spanish
context will be presented. In this sense, urban design needs to address two
major challenges that are closely connected with health: climate change and
ageing societies. The presentation of the project UNI-Health (EIT Health
BP2019) will show a theoretical approach for a vulnerable neighbourhood in the South of Madrid and the opportunities for innovation to
improve quality of life. March 24th, 2021 Carla Jung-König International Building Exhibition, Heidelberg “Masterplan
PHV – Ageing and Social Justice” Abstract: Carla Jung-König will focus
on the new urban district "Patrick-Henry-Village" in Heidelberg. The
process of creating a "dynamic masterplan" was supported by the IBA
Heidelberg (International Building Exhibition) since 2019. The Masterplan is
a set of tools to create a livable city for a variety of people. Elderly
people and the ageing society were not the "main target group" when
the masterplan was first written. But the topic of an ageing society was
integrated in the process of planning in the meantime. The change in society
is getting more obvious day by day – knowledge needs to be transferred to a
younger generation, elderly people need to work longer. Health issues,
loneliness or lack of money need to be addressed. So the speech asks: What
can urban planners do, when thinking of an ageing society? Is it enough to
integrate elevators in every building, or can planners address other topics
as well? April 7th, 2021 Silvia Turzio VillageCare (CEO &
Founder) “Ageing society: social
impact and business opportunity” Abstract: The
ageing population presents several challenges at the economic and social
levels, with significant implications in the urban environment. Private and
public solutions are necessary to address these issues. VillageCare is a start-up in social
impact and ageing services, the first national digital portal in guidance, advisoring and search assistant solutions for families
caregiver taking care of elderly people. It
provides a range of care advisory services to both individuals and business
to business such as corporate welfare systems, insurance, health, employee
training an coaching, focused on improving caregivers work-life balance and well-being. May 5th,
2021 Anna Schlomann Network on Aging
Research, University of Heidelberg “How “smart“ is older adults‘ everyday life? Empirical findings and
conceptual approaches” May 26th, 2021 Workshop with students’ presentations: !Please note that this
meeting starts at 9:00! 9:00-9:10 – Introduction 9:10-9:35 – Małgorzata Maryl-Wójcik,
"The needs of seniors in the cities in the eyes of their representatives
– the case study of 4 Polish cities." 9:35-10:00 – Quynh Anh Nguyen,
"Applying machine learning on Discussions concerning Ageing Societies of
Twitter users" 10:00-10:25 – Didem Paloğlu,
"How Does Scientific Researches Approach 'Smart Cities and Ageing'
Concept: Text Mining Analysis of Selected Literature” 10:25-10:50 – Amina Khalfa, "Loneliness
in Old Age - an evolving phenomenon that is steadily increasing" 10:50-11:00 – break 11:00-11:25 – Ozgur Polat,
"ICT and grocery shopping of the elderly" 11:25-11:50 – Martina Viggiano, "City
bikes and the elderly - Milano" 11:50-12:15 – Laura Elena Ciurca,
"City's monitoring system as a tool to help the elderly" 12:15-12:25 – Conclusion of this year seminar |
Organizational information: The coordinators of the seminar: - Chiara
Del Bo (UM), - Grzegorz Kula (UW), - Christiane Schwieren
(HU) If
you are interested in sharing your research or experience with us, send an e-mail
to Grzegorz Kula: For some meetings the recordings will be available.
If you want to see them, send an e-mail to Grzegorz Kula: Students from 4EU+ Alliance, who want to treat this
seminar as a course, should check the information here. |
This seminar is organized within the framework
of 4EU+ Alliance.