Building a National IoT Plan: Policy Recommendations and the Case of Brazil

The Internet of Things (“IoT”) is an expression that refers to a whole set of new services and devices that includes at least three fundamental aspects: connectivity, use of sensors or actuators, and computational capacity for data processing and storage. The Internet of Things goes beyond connecting objects to each other; it also gives them the power to process data (thereby making them "smart"). For developing countries such as Brazil, the opportunities offered by the Internet of Things can compensate for shortcomings in infrastructure and services, and can improve innovation, quality of life, productivity, and even the economic complexity of our basket of export products. However, the way in which each country will seize this opportunity will depend on its specific aspirations and strategies. The broader economic, social, political, and legal context of the country should be considered, as well as the local development of information and communication technologies. For this reason, the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), in partnership with the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications (MCTIC), has commissioned this study, "Internet of Things: An Action Plan for Brazil." This study, mapped by a consortium comprised by McKinsey & Company, the CPqD Foundation, and Pereira Neto | Macedo Law Firm, outlines the local technological and economic challenges related to the topic, as well as well as how to address legal issues inherent to the development of IoT in Brazil

The electric city newspaper: urban age electric city conference (Shoreditch Electric Light Station, London 6-7 December 2012)

In 1879 Thomas Edison invented the light bulb and built the first power station in Pearl Street in Manhattan in 1882, while the German inventor Werner von Siemens installed the first electric elevator in Mannheim in 1880. Since then, electricity has powered – directly or indirectly – the shape and dynamics of urban life. In cities of the developed world, we take for granted that electricity feeds the complex systems which sustain and sometimes spectacularly fail us. In emerging cities of the developing world, a light bulb is still embraced as a symbol of civilisation by some, while others celebrate their urbanity in a visual cacophony of neon. The Electric City is, in many ways, the crucible of patterns of production, consumption and pollution of the 21st century ‘urban age’ as cities struggle with their impact on the social and environmental well-being of the planet. After having tackled the urban economy, health and well-being, violence, security, social inclusion and design at conferences held in – amongst others – Hong Kong, Chicago, New York, São Paulo and Johannesburg, the Urban Age returns to London for its eleventh conference since 2005. We turn our attention to the challenges and responsibilities faced by cities in the digital age as Climate Change and economic pressures continue to define our everyday urban realities. Since its inception, the Urban Age has studied the spatial and social dynamics of over 30 cities in the developed and developing world, collaborated with over 40 academic institutions and municipal authorities and been attended by over 5,000 speakers and participants from urban design, policymaking, research and practice. In London we welcome over 60 speakers from 30 cities in 15 countries across four continents who take part in the two-day Urban Age Electric City conference in the aptly named Shoreditch Electric Light Station in central London – a building that in its own history reflects the connections between power and the city. It opened as an electricity generating station in 1896 to burn rubbish, giving steam for generating electricity with the waste used to heat public baths next door. The motto above the door is ‘E Pulvere Lux Et Vis, or ‘Out Of The Dust, Light And Power’, reflecting a trajectory of sustainable resilience that parallels the themes and issues debated by the protagonists of the Urban Age

City indicators : now to Nanjing

This paper provides the key elements to develop an integrated approach for measuring and monitoring city performance globally. The paper reviews the role of cities and why indicators are important. Then it discusses past approaches to city indicators and the systems developed to date, including the World Bank's initiatives. After identifying the strengths and weaknesses of past experiences, it discusses the characteristics of optimal indicators. The paper concludes with a proposed plan to develop standardized indicators that emphasize the importance of indicators that are measurable, replicable, potentially predictive, and most important, consistent and comparable over time and across cities. As an innovative characteristic, the paper includes subjective measures in city indicators, such as well-being, happy citizens, and trust.Cultural Policy,City Development Strategies,Cultural Heritage&Preservation,ICT Policy and Strategies,Housing&Human Habitats

Social Innovation in Sustainable Urban Development

How can a city advance from social invention to social innovation, to attain sustainable urban development (SUD)? Many new ideas, initiatives, and showcases for social innovation have been introduced; however, project-based forms of experimentation are often just part of the ongoing urban politics (or governmentality), and consequently somewhat ephemeral, with traditional siloed city administrations remaining a central obstacle to SUD. Our Special Issue presents twelve papers that address the question of social innovation in sustainable urban development from very different angles. The contributions span issues concerning smart cities, innovation in the adaptive reuse of urban heritage, as well as policy options for regions in transition. In terms of social innovation for SUD purposes, the presented solutions range from transferable legal formalizations to the creation of urban ecosystems whose institutional structures ensure the inclusion of the civil society. Instead of a comprehensive, integrative SUD, robust sectoral solutions, or even phased solutions, are more likely to be sought

Congestion charging mechanisms for roads : an evaluation of current practice

The author explores 20 criteria for a good road pricing system and presents case studies illustrating the costs, revenues, and benefits of alternative congestion charging mechanisms. The author finds that manual tollbooths are not suitable for congestion charging because they are land-, labor-, and time-intensive. Cordon pricing (as in the Bergen toll ring) can be an effective instrument for charging for congestion if half the toll lanes are reserved for seasonal pass holders traveling through the pricing points at regular highway speed. Enforcement of those driving in reserved lanes can be carried out by periodic videographs of vehicle license plates. Area licensing schemes require that vehicles entering the central business district during peak hours prominently display a monthly or daily license. Enforcement is undertaken at gantry points by traffic wardens who perform visual checks on the nonstop traffic. The enforcement costs of area licensing schemes are prohibitive at motorway speeds but relatively low-cost in a standard congested urban setting with limited gateways. Area licensing schemes, also known as supplementary licensing, carry the lowest cost per transaction. Electronic road pricing with automatic vehicle identification (an off-vehicle recording system) is electronic toll collection by time of day writ large and made obligatory on vehicle owners in a jurisdiction. The cost of the electronic equipment is not trivial, but is outweighed by the benefits. Sensitivity analysis performed on the Hong Kong electronic road pricing scheme in 1983-85 shows that even after excluding time savings, the savings in operating costs produce benefit figures that are greater than system costs. The invasion-of-privacy issues that led to the political failure of the Hong Kong electronic road pricing scheme can not be overcome by giving road users access to confidential numbered account arrangements with a prepaid cash deposit. The capital cost of electronic road pricing with smart card technology (an on-vehicle charging system) is higher than the cost for automatic vehicle identification technology alone, but benefits still outweigh costs (as in the Dutch proposal). Together, the benefit-cost ratio and the cost per transaction are acceptable but this technology is still not widely used commercially. The author argues that electronic approaches to direct road use charging are superior to manual approaches for road users, road authorities, and society as a whole. And rapid progress in microelectronics, cryptology, and microwave technologies will continue to yield large-scale economies in the manufacturing of automatic vehicle identification equipment, read-write transponders, smart cards, and the hardware and software that go with them. The author ranks electronic road pricing with automatic vehicle identification alone higher than electronic road pricing with smart card-type AVI based on an unweighted index of all criteria. And generally, the area licensing scheme is superior to cordon pricing. If budgets allow, authorities should investigate the feasibility of electronic road pricing. If the budget is tight, they should look into the area licensing scheme with its low cost and high benefit-cost ratio (the latter being the most important of the 20 criteria the author uses). Both conceptually and practically, the author finds that it is important to earmark the proceeds of road pricing to implement marginal cost pricing in the road sector.Roads&Highways,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Banks&Banking Reform,Urban Transport,Municipal Financial Management

The 15-Minute City in Toronto: Insights from Lefebvre and Fanon

This major paper examines the spatial and political project of the 15-minute city by drawing on the insights of Henri Lefebvre and Frantz Fanon. This research paper interrogates the 15-minute city urban vision and explores the social and spatial implications of the model. This analysis explores the different contexts where this plan is being promoted, highlighting local dynamics of socio-spatial inequality, state policy, and expectations of social life in urban areas. It applies a conceptual framework that foregrounds the works of Henri Lefebvre and Frantz Fanon which offers insight into the ways that areas can be spatially organized into hierarchical relations and be impacted by racialized and gendered dynamics of everyday life. This paper also examines the 15-minute city in Toronto within existing popular planning discourses and in the context of neoliberal policies and dynamics of socio-spatial inequality. I am engaging in a contextual reading that looks particularly at the role of the state and everyday life in influencing spatial and social relations. The aim of this research is to challenge the underlying assumptions around desirable social life and urban space and to highlight the colonial, capitalist, and neoliberal dimensions of the 15-minute city

An exploration of the parameters of liveable urbanism through inclusive incremental development

“Despite a significant reduction in the percentage of population living in informal settlements from 2000 to 2014, the absolute number of people living in deplorable conditions has increased from 689 to 880 million people over the same period. Current policy and planning practice in developing countries has not been able to cope with such pervasive rapid urbanisation. By 2050 the United Nations predicts two-thirds of the global population will live in cities. Of which as many as one-third of this population could be living in informal settlements (slums). To address these unsustainable and undesirable trends in support of the disadvantaged and maintaining environmental sustainability, this minor dissertation conducts comprehensive research of contemporary policy and planning work to seek alternatives. The purpose of the literature review is to identify commonalities, differences, gaps of knowledge and constraints of current policies and planning practice currently used to plan and manage growth of cities. Analysis and findings then inform and add value in exploring parameters for a 'liveable’ or improved urbanism from that currently experienced in informal settlements. Historic global policies focusing on government led top down approaches to provide large scale low cost housing have not kept up with demand, although they remain popular politically. From these policy and planning failures, it is evident that a more inclusive and incremental approach better utilizing available human capital should be considered. Critical analysis of literature with an alternative urbanism and planning paradigm in mind emerges in the findings and conclusion in the form of recommended parameters for a new inclusive and incremental urbanism. Such urbanism is entirely possible provided the critical issues identified such as lack of political will and good governance can be mitigated. To dramatically improve the lives of millions will require a compelling vision and collaborative effort seldom seen in current policy and planning of developing countries. Despite the daunting task, this paper seeks to define a conceptual framework drawn from findings to mitigate issues and guide an alternative vision of the future. The alternative urbanism that emerges from the conceptual framework may fall somewhere between that of current informal settlements and current discourse such as smart cities’