Smart Cities: Berlin and Istanbul
The purpose of smart cities is to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people by enabling local area development and harnessing technology. The last one is the one that leads to Smart outcomes.
Berlin
An example of a successful smart city is Berlin, which is one of the most dynamic economic regions in Germany. Companies, investors, science and technology institutions gather there.
In 2008, the Berlin Senate turned the name of Germany’s Capital into a brand name “Be Berlin”, in order to promote the city on a national and international level. Every year (for 5 years) , there was a different slogan and the whole city was working on it.
The campaign’s goals was to define the features of the city, to create a leading location for business and industry and a great place to live and to attract tourists as well. In other words, it’s target was to transform the city into a unique opportunity in all aspects.
The campaign ended in 2012 and achieved to transform Berlin city into a smart, livable city of opportunities, by improving social engagement, technological innovation and progressive marketing plan. The structure of the campaign is characterized by morphological cohesion, by using the same symbols, colors and logos in any special project.
The campaign ended in 2012.Today the city is considered to be one of the most creative, liveable and international city. Berlin inspires as a creative metropolis, as a start-up hub, as a place for innovative technology and science.
Istanbul
Another example of smart city is Istanbul. It is historically also known as Constantinople- Byzantium and is the most populous city in Turkey and the country’s economic, cultural, and historic center. Moreover, it’s a transcontinental city in Eurasia, straddling the Bosphorus strait between the sea of Marmara and the black sea. Its commercial and historical center lies on the European side and about a third of its population lives on the Asian side.
In the last years , there have been many projects, which turned the city into a “smart city”. Τhe government proceeded to social development improving the quality of life, to economic development making its economy more competitive and creative and to urban development. Furthermore, they attempt to make the city an environmental leader.Another important fact is that Istanbul was improved in public and sea transportation. A problem that existed for many years.
Istanbul is a knowledge metropolis. In other words, it is a regional hub for activities like finance, logistics, tourism and culture for the Balkans, the Black Sea region, the Central Asian Turk republics and the Middle East.
Finally, the city was chosen as European Capital of Culture in 2010. Being a cultural capital brought the city and its cultural infrastructure into a modern level, it became a cultural attraction destination for foreign visitors, enriched its socio-economic development, and so on. During 2010, many artists and cultural groups, both local and international, visited Istanbul at various stages for cultural showscases, events, displays, exhibitions, concerts, arts, etc.
Our team: Zarda Myrsini, Kontolatou Marianna, Kontomichis Venedictos, Tsivgeli Maria
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