The Smart Places course is aimed at public sector workers involved in planning projects, showing them how data and tech can improve urban and rural areas.
A new training course run by a body representing the north and west of Ireland is exploring how tech can be used to improve the places we live in.
The Smart Places training programme will explore the application of digital technologies to address day-to-day issues such as congestion, pollution and waste.
The Northern and Western Regional Assembly (NWRA) is running the course in collaboration with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and smart city platform Bable.
The NWRA is one of three regional assemblies in the Republic of Ireland. It is a regional advocate, connecting villages, towns, urban areas and communities.
The Smart Places programme aims to provide an avenue for people to think of practical ways to build sustainable cities, towns and living environments. It is aimed at public sector representatives involved in urban and rural planning projects.
It will show participants how to use tech and data to inform themselves about issues affecting modern communities, such as waste management, pollution, traffic congestion and health.
The course will offer an overview of how a smart community vision and strategy can be defined. It will introduce key concepts and practice examples, as well as insight about tools and techniques for strategic planning and measuring the success of the strategy implementation.
Participants will learn how new tech can be leveraged to improve planning and public services. They will also benefit from exchanging experiences and lessons with participants from other cities and countries.
“Cities and regions globally are increasingly shifting towards innovation, bringing digitisation and the internet of things into all aspects of human and business life,” said David Minton, director with the NWRA.
“This movement is taking place in order to apply these technologies to address real challenges while maintaining liveability.”
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