CIENS-urban conference: Smart and green cities - for whom?

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An increasing share of the world population lives in cities. However, cities are not self-containing. They are characterized by their enormous resource consumption and waste production, and they heavily depend on their surroundings to provide them with food, fresh water, raw materials and energy, but also to take up their waste and pollution. To cope with population growth and environmental problems, the smart, compact and green city is considered a solution, to reduce sprawl, long commuter distances and extensive land use. At the same time many cities are increasingly unequal and segregated, socially and culturally. To create inclusive future societies it is therefore an urgent requirement to ensure that city inhabitants have the same chance to participate in the public realm and to be socially integrated. Norwegian green cities are also on their way to transform into smart cities. The CIENS-urban conference 2016 "Smart and green cities - for whom?" will provide a forum for Norwegian and international practitioners and scientists to - explore potentials of developing smart and green cities that also are sustainable - raise awareness for the societal and social impacts and challenges related to smart and green city development - discuss the character of socio-technical and infrastructural changes necessary for smart and green city development After launching the conference end of May through different channels (see Formidlingsplan) by end of June 40 persons already had registered. The envisaged number of participants is 120. Invited keynote lectures from Norwegian and international urban researchers and city practitioneers, as well as selected presentations from participants will create an inspiring frame to discuss prospects and challenges of green and smart city development. After the conference abstracts, posters and presentations will be made available on the conference web-pages. Participants will be provided with each other contact details.