The Future of Urban Innovation

A Q&A with Jerry Hultin on Smart Cities NYC

What makes a “smart city”?

We at Global Futures Group and Smart Cities NYC believe that while it takes private sector, government, academic and non-profit leadership to harness technology in a way that advances cities, ultimately the people and citizens are what make cities smart. At the end of the day, in order to create a competitive environment for cities, you must engage and have the commitment of the people.

Tell us a little about Smart Cities NYC. What is it? What are the goals of this conference?

Smart Cities NYC 2017 (SCNYC), Powered by People, is North America’s premier smart cities event highlighting innovative technologies and companies creating safer, smarter, more resilient urban environments. SCNYC will focus on challenges and solutions in energy, health, data, security, IoT, infrastructure, mobility, resiliency, resources, society, governance, and many more. Government entities are a key element to the successful deployment of new technologies that will shape the future of our cities. Therefore we are keen on enabling the relationships between corporate, public, academic and non-governmental entities that will propel efforts in all these fields even further.

Why the Brooklyn Navy Yard?

The home of the first ironclad ship for the Civil War and all the big ships for World War I and WWII, the Navy Yard was destined for a third century of even bigger innovation. It’s currently home to the largest rooftop garden in the US (the Brooklyn Grange), the largest movie studio outside of LA (Steiner Studios) and a world class tech incubator focused on manufacturing innovation (New Lab). The Navy Yard is one of many projects to diversify NYC’s economy and create an innovation eco-system — a true smart city story that generates phenomenal new companies, jobs and economic growth. There’s no more progressive location in the USA than the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

You emphasize the intersections between technology and urban life. How can technology make cities more livable?

We are just beginning to understand how 21st century technologies can transform urban life. With the dramatic rise in capabilities — and drop in cost — of mobile phones, cloud computing, massive broadband, new sensors and GPS, we are witnessing a wide-range of new solutions that make urban life better. These technologies have allowed Uber and Lyft to make transportation and mobility more efficient, while soon driverless cars will make driving safer. These same technologies are bringing efficiency to hospitals by communicating with patients coming from neighborhoods like Queens, where there are over a hundred different languages spoken. Competitive cities will continue to innovate using these technologies — and the result will be smarter, safer, healthier and more efficient cities.

The conference is in NYC, but appeals to a global audience. How are cities and competitiveness connected?

This is the first conference and expo to bring over 85 speakers to NYC to have conversations, debates, and workshops about the intersection of technology and urban life. Our ambition and purpose is to catalyze economic growth, provide an inclusive public forum to explore innovative solutions, and to help citizens shape the future of their cities.

With broad participation from all economic sectors and geographical regions, Smart Cities NYC’ 17 is the inaugural edition of an ongoing annual series. Because it’s being held at one of the most dynamic centers of urban technology and innovation, we expect to attract a broad audience of government officials, corporations, entrepreneurs, academics, media, artists and community leaders from around the world.

The event makes NYC more competitive because it provides highly-interactive opportunities for citizens, startups, corporations and public institutions to contribute to the creation of better, safer and smarter future cities. Also, like any major conference with a global draw, Smart Cities NYC’ 17 will bring thousands of visitors and millions of new tourism dollars to NY and create hundreds of part-time and full time jobs.

How can cities get “smarter” around the globe? How can this be done in emerging nations?

It starts with three pillars: innovation, infrastructure and inclusion. Innovation thrives when there is an eco-system that supports it. This means universities, government, businesses, finance, and citizens joining together. Infrastructure is key, especially if it combines traditional infrastructure, like bridges and roads, with a large “dose” of 21st century infrastructure, as described in #2. Connectivity, access to data, ease of communicating are essential in the developing world. Otherwise, the developing world will generate 19th and 20th century cities and repeat the problems that drain the competitive qualities of so many developed cities. Most importantly, but often forgotten, is inclusion. We believe that engaging citizens is the key to truly improving the quality of life in cities. That’s why we have been meeting with citizens at our townhall meetings for more than a year.

Why and how did you get involved with smart cities?

As President of Polytechnic University (now New York University Tandon School of Engineering), one of my top priorities was connecting engineering and technology to the global rise in urbanization. Over a decade ago, we could see the enormous problems being faced by cities, but we also saw the great potential for technology to help cities around the world solve their problems. In Brooklyn, we helped “invent” the Brooklyn Technology Triangle, so that three separate high-tech areas (DUMBO, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and MetroTech) could become a larger, denser, more exciting innovation eco-system. Today, as globalization is being challenged and national support of innovation is diminishing, cities are where the action is.

Is there anything else you want to share?

Join us on May 3–6th at the Brooklyn Navy Yard for Smart Cities NYC ’17 to meet with over 85 urban officials, entrepreneurs, technologists, academic and business leaders. We need your ideas and innovations as we discuss and debate some of the most important issues of the times. And, before you leave, decide what you will do to improve the quality of life in your city!

GFCC is proud to be a partner of the upcoming Smart Cities NYC. Register here for the event. We hope to see you there!

Visit the website for the latest agenda, high-profile speakers and dozens of expert-led workshops with organizations including C40, International Cleantech Network, MIT and New York City agencies. GFCC President Deborah Wince-Smith will be among the featured speakers.

GFCC members can register using a discount code. Please email info@thegfcc.org for more details.