Emerging Scandinavian Cities | Smart and Innovative Cities
Scandinavian cities are long considered as a prodigy for most European cities, aftes suffering from a long-time recession due to oil insufficiency in the past decades, the Scandinavian cities, have now outgrown themselves, and are nowadays thought to be of the most well organized and sustainable cities in Europe. Our team made significant research about the Scandinavian capitals after the guideness of our Associate Proffesor for the Cultural Marketing Betty Tsakarestou, under the MA of Cultural Management at Panteion Universiy.
First, Marilena, presented the city of Helsinki.
Helsinki, Finland: “city is being created through the creativity of its people”
Helsinki is one of the cities that have been leading the way, globally and in Scandinavia, in terms of collaboration between citizens, government and the private sector, a city where the entire community gets involved. Helsinki is continuously at the top of comparisons and evaluations of the European and global smart cities, implementing an innovative urban transformation strategy, which focuses on the increase of digitalization. In this exceptional Finnish city, the smart city development is determined by the strong role of the city where the staff actively works directly with the citizens and other stakeholders. Remarkably, the city owns a utility company which is in charge of the electricity as well as district heating and cooling grids and is also main provider of electricity for these grids. Of equal importance is the fact that the city has strongly invested in open, digital technologies for smart city developments. These facts allow the city council to make independent decisions regarding the energy development of the city.
As far as its efforts for sustainability and innovation are concerned, Helsinki has been constantly working on a save on energy plan that includes renewable energy sources, energy efficient homes, solar power production and retrofitting actions. The city has successfully restructured the country’s oldest hydroelectric plant, the (world’s most) efficient coal-based electricity and heat co-generation plant, phasing out the coal power plant, transitioning toward decentralized production, increasing the use of renewable energy sources. It has systematically been refiguring the former harbor and industrial area of Kalasatama (testing ground for new construction solutions) waterfront area to be transformed into a high-performance residential zone of new housing outfitted with smart home solutions, smart meters and renewable energy sources (e-mobility charging networks). In the area of Suvilahti, a vehicle-to-grid charging station has been installed, as well as a production of solar power and energy storage, an area which is the largest cultural centre in Finland and harmonically combines different sites of interest, from a brewery bar to a 100-metre-long graffiti wall. Lastly, in the areas of Merihakat and Vilhovuori, the city has been working on a modernizing 1970’s apartments project.
When it comes to Open Data policy, city has created Rentapark, a digital application for a parking space sharing service that is estimated to reduce traffic by 30 percent and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 10 percent.
Last but not least, Helsinki has invested in creativity, using design as a strategic tool in building an open city and to improve city life, as well as integrating it in the local transport system. Moreover, the city strategy focuses on increasing transparency in the administration, publishing its procurement and decision-making data.
The co-creating video concerning the urban developement of the city of Helsinki, followed the presentation:
Next, Irene took over with the city of Oslo.
The vision for Oslo is to make it a smarter, greener, more inclusive and creative city for all citizens — a smart city that innovates with the citizens’ interest and well-being at the core.
So states Silie Baraksten, on her artictle concerning the Oslo Model as an accelerating smart city, an story that reveals how Oslo is working with start ups to create a model for a sustainable smart city, you can read the whole article here: https://medium.com/@Bareksten/accelerating-smart-city-the-oslo-model-723aae2888ed
“A smart city is an urban development vision to improve the lives of the citizens by being open, connected, sustainable and innovative. Smart application, utilisation and integration of new technology, sectors and services is key to benefit the most important piece in the puzzle: the citizen.”
Oslo has adopted a very citizen centric strategy, that aims to create a far better life, conquering the established problems that the Nordic society comes across, such as growth-connected challenges, such as “an aging population, increasing demands for mobility solutions and housing.”
That main project is of course paired, with climate goals and a population focused on new technologies that improve the daily life of the citizens.
“The result is to digitalise all that can be digitalised, In order to help the city get smarter.”
Silje Bareksten , public speaker, writer & sustainability advocate states, this smart city backdrop is hardly unique to Oslo, and focuses on presenting the takeaway to be shared from the transformative model of a public-private smart city accelerator. Combining the creative work of the city start-ups along with the state work, the accelerator follows a fail fast strategy, in order to propose and impose actual solutions to the city problems, by overcoming the delays formed of beaurocracy.
Focusing more on the the environmental policy, Oslo is the European Green Capital for 2019, and that is considered as a huge success for the country. Norway might be one of the world’s biggest producers of oil and gas, but its capital city is in the middle of implementing a green revolution. City bosses plan to slash emissions by an ambitious 95 percent by 2030. This despite the fact that Oslo one of Europe’s fastest growing cities.
“We are very proud to officially become the 2019 European Green Capital. Combating and adapting to climate change is the greatest challenge of our time and it can’t be left to someone else, at another time, in another place”, says Governing Mayor of Oslo, Raymond Johansen.
During its year in the spotlight as the European Green Capital, Oslo will act as an ambassador for sustainable urban development, sharing and promoting what’s worked with the hope of inspiring other cities to make similar changes.
One of the biggest reasons was the city’s focus on sustainable transportation. Oslo has become the world’s electric vehicle capital with 60% of all new vehicles sold in the city being electric in the first half of 2018.
Furthermore, 56% of all public transport journeys are powered by renewably energy on zero-emissions trams, train and metro, and public transport journeys have increased by 50% since 2007.
You can watch a very insightful video on how Oslo is organised as a Green City :
On the social policy, Oslo is Norway’s most ethnically diverse city.
Oslo has a bigger percentage of immigrants and Norwegian-born children with immigrant parents than any other region in Norway.
According to official government figures, 25% were of the city’s population were born elsewhere and an additional 7.8% were born to immigrant parents. Most of the city’s population with an immigrant background come from Pakistan, followed by Poland, Sweden and Somalia. Around half the population of the Groruddalen district is made up of immigrants and their children, while the figures are similarly high in many of the surrounding areas in eastern Oslo. That mentioned, Oslo has made the most of the multi-cultural society created by the imigrating population, and has proven that different minds and cultures from all around the world can actually improve the dynmics of the city.
Last but not least, concerning Oslo’s social policy, is the equality standards
as three of Norway’s leaders in the current coalition are female and the country is one of the most gender equal in the world.
The US News & World Report has ranked Norway 4th in the 2019 ranking of the best countries for women, while Scandinavian countries made up three of the top four.
It says a lot about Norway that a 29-year-old, Pakistani-Norwegian Muslim woman can serve as a minister in the Norwegian government. Equality of opportunity is a thread that runs throughout Scandinavian society and while it’s not perfect, the model is held up as an example to follow by many other countries.
Concluding, Oslo, not only is addresing to creative partners such as start ups in co-creating the city accelerator project, but also focusing greatly increating a smart, sustainable and green city in all ways. But the most important of all, is the policy that is centered to the citizen, creating a welcoming environment not only for in terms of multi-cultural aspects, but also empowering the female status.
Finally, Nikos concluded our presentation with of the city of Stockholm.
Focusing on Stockholm as the first Europe’s Green Capital (2010) and the impressing way the City used this award during 2010 and ever since, in order to ensure continuity. During 2010, the City of Stockholm worked in the following three directions: First, a hosting knowledge-sharing and exchange-of-ideas events between experts in cities from all over Europe, by developing a — still remaining in place- study visit programme. The programme is based on the European Green Capital criteria, by organizing a series of seminars and workshops where experts in different fields met to discuss common challenges at a very high level, and, by holding at the end of the year, together with the European Commission, a “European Green Capital Conference” that attracted over 300 delegates from across the globe who wanted to find out more. Secondly, by finding ways to make the people of Stockholm aware of the award and proud of it, by organizing events like a “green New Year’s resolution” or an “environmental hero” award, given at the end of the year to a citizen who was nominated by his/hers fellow citizens. In the same spectrum, organizing “green city”walks, by using the large worldwide coverage of a royal wedding that occurred in the same period to pass information about the European Green Capital in all materials and activities, and, finally, by training 50 persons as Green Capital Ambassadors in order to make sure that messages got across, both externally and to all 40,000 employees within the city. The last action, has to do with profiling events all over the world, like the COP15 climate conference, the first ClimateChange Conference, in Copenhagen, MIPIM (one of the world’s biggest real estate exhibitions) in Cannes, or the World Expo in Shanghai in autumn 2010. A change of mindset came as a result, clearly reflected on the 2015 City Budget’s headline:
“Stockholm — a city defined by equality and sustainability”
which defines social, ecological, economic and democratic Sustainability as its’ target. In fact, sustainability is considered to enhance the Stockholm’sBrand, as the city is highly recognised in several international indexes measuring quality of life and standard of living. In 2013 OECD recognised Stockholm as the leading city when it comes to the reduction of carbon emissions and was also impressed by the city’s water quality and waste handling. Other international indexes Stockholm’s impressive rankings include ITC development and urban sustainability, infrastructure, ability to handle climate change, opportunities, quality of life. The city’s targets for the future appear rather impressive: the Green City Planning includes the building of 140,000 new homes, retrofitting suburban houses built in 1960–70 or expanding the idea of Eco City Districts, like the “Hammarby Sjöstad”, where 25.000 people live in 11.000 housing units. The city’s mobility strategy gives the leading role to the bicycle and the public means of transportation, aiming to make Stockholm a fossil-fuel free city by 2040. The city also intends to keep its’ important position as a Smart City, by investing on green IT, and e-services. Stockholm is one of the world’s most connected cities, having one of the world’s largest open fibre-optic networks and providing access to fixed and mobile broadband throughout the City, not to mention that the Stockholm area also hosts the Kista Science City, one of the world leading ICT clusters.
A video presenting the city’s progress towards sustainability can be watched down below:
Concluding the presentation of the Scandinavian cities, we all agreed that the main policy concerning a greener and most sustainable life in the cities is of great importance. Scandinavian cities, invest on innovation, new technologies and provide opportunities to companies and start ups, to provide state solutions for the better future. Initials are taken by the majority of the innovative companies established in each city. Scandinavia may lack of the sun and vibrant nature of the Mediterranean countries, but the policies regarding the improvement of daily life in the city, with respect to the environment and to the individual, and mostly with the goal being the future, thriving with creativity and innovation. Undouptfully, the Scandinavian cities are a great example concerning the evolution of the Cities of The Future.
Conductors of the article: Nikos Yalelis | Marilena Katsarou |Irene Theodosi
The Power Point presentation can be found on the following link on slideshare: https://www.slideshare.net/irenetheodosi/emerged-scandinavian-smart-cities
