HCM City should learn from other cities’s experiences in building a smart city, experts said at a seminar on September 28 (Photo: kienviet.net) HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City should learn lessons from majorcities in developed countries on how to become a smart city, speakers said atan international conference held in the city on September 28.
Nearly 200 delegates, including those from theUS, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, discussed ways to helpHCM City build a smart city.
David Koh, Singaporean researcher at theCambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, said the Singaporean approachcould be adopted by HCM City.
“Open your door to technologies that can helpyou build a smart city,” he said. “A smart city is desired all over the worldbecause of a few imperatives: greenness, competition, and efficiency.”
The process to achieve a smart city can takemany years. However, even though a smart city will rely heavily on technology,it might ignore or sideline the human element on which development should becentered, according to Koh.
“All of us are familiar with an SMS sent fromone room to the next when a brief walk to talk to the person would do,” hesaid.
Smart cities are driven by data collection fromdifferent types of sensors, including coordination and integration of dates anddeliveries to consumers, and monitoring of public services.
The success of smart cities will come from thewill of the Government to bring resources of different departments andinterests to bear on development.
Good governance is the most important factor inachieving efficiency, according to Koh.
He noted that Singapore had always been on thecutting edge of trends, especially technology, which had been important in itssuccess and business growth.
Nguyen Thanh Trung, Vice President of the VietnamFatherland Front Committee in HCM City, said that HCM City aimed to become asmart city in the near future by implementing IoT (the Internet of Things),Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data.
The city faced challenges such as flooding,traffic jams, unstable competitiveness, inadequate infrastructure, and limitedresources for development, among others, he noted.
To become a smart city, HCM City should developan open data ecosystem and build a centre for the simulation of forecasts fordevelopment strategies, as well as an information security and safety centre,according to Trung.
Healthcare, food safety, and social order andsafety will all benefit from a smart city approach.
“It’s also important to raise residents’ awarenessso they can prepare and adapt to live in a smart city,” he said.
Phan Thi Hong Xuan, dean of the Faculty of UrbanStudies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, said under aGovernment plan, HCM City would become “a civilised, modern and humane city”with a high quality of life.
Under the plan, the city’s Districts 2 and 9will be developed into “creative urban areas”.
Besides Singapore, the city should learn fromthe experiences of Seoul, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai in building smartcities, she said.
Philippe Leonard, executive director of SmartCities Council of Europe, said: “A smart city is not a technological issue.It’s about using technology to make a city smarter. A smart city improves thequality of life.”
"Smart cities have residents who embracecreativity and an inclusive society and advanced education," he said.
"Such cities also include smart mobility(clean and non-motorised options), smart economy (innovative entrepreneurship),smart Government (application of ICT and e-Government) and smart living (greenplanning and building and green energy)," he added.
Singapore targets becoming a smart nationby 2030, Seoul by 2030, Bangkok by 2032, Kuala Lumpur by 2020, and Shanghai by2050.
Top European smart cities include London, Paris,Amsterdam, Geneva, Copenhagen and others.
The seminar was organised by the VietnamFatherland Front Committee in HCM City in collaboration with Friedrich EbertStiftung, Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations, Vietnam-Southeast AsiaFriendship Association and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.-VNS/VNA
Nearly 200 delegates, including those from theUS, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, discussed ways to helpHCM City build a smart city.
David Koh, Singaporean researcher at theCambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, said the Singaporean approachcould be adopted by HCM City.
“Open your door to technologies that can helpyou build a smart city,” he said. “A smart city is desired all over the worldbecause of a few imperatives: greenness, competition, and efficiency.”
The process to achieve a smart city can takemany years. However, even though a smart city will rely heavily on technology,it might ignore or sideline the human element on which development should becentered, according to Koh.
“All of us are familiar with an SMS sent fromone room to the next when a brief walk to talk to the person would do,” hesaid.
Smart cities are driven by data collection fromdifferent types of sensors, including coordination and integration of dates anddeliveries to consumers, and monitoring of public services.
The success of smart cities will come from thewill of the Government to bring resources of different departments andinterests to bear on development.
Good governance is the most important factor inachieving efficiency, according to Koh.
He noted that Singapore had always been on thecutting edge of trends, especially technology, which had been important in itssuccess and business growth.
Nguyen Thanh Trung, Vice President of the VietnamFatherland Front Committee in HCM City, said that HCM City aimed to become asmart city in the near future by implementing IoT (the Internet of Things),Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data.
The city faced challenges such as flooding,traffic jams, unstable competitiveness, inadequate infrastructure, and limitedresources for development, among others, he noted.
To become a smart city, HCM City should developan open data ecosystem and build a centre for the simulation of forecasts fordevelopment strategies, as well as an information security and safety centre,according to Trung.
Healthcare, food safety, and social order andsafety will all benefit from a smart city approach.
“It’s also important to raise residents’ awarenessso they can prepare and adapt to live in a smart city,” he said.
Phan Thi Hong Xuan, dean of the Faculty of UrbanStudies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, said under aGovernment plan, HCM City would become “a civilised, modern and humane city”with a high quality of life.
Under the plan, the city’s Districts 2 and 9will be developed into “creative urban areas”.
Besides Singapore, the city should learn fromthe experiences of Seoul, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai in building smartcities, she said.
Philippe Leonard, executive director of SmartCities Council of Europe, said: “A smart city is not a technological issue.It’s about using technology to make a city smarter. A smart city improves thequality of life.”
"Smart cities have residents who embracecreativity and an inclusive society and advanced education," he said.
"Such cities also include smart mobility(clean and non-motorised options), smart economy (innovative entrepreneurship),smart Government (application of ICT and e-Government) and smart living (greenplanning and building and green energy)," he added.
Singapore targets becoming a smart nationby 2030, Seoul by 2030, Bangkok by 2032, Kuala Lumpur by 2020, and Shanghai by2050.
Top European smart cities include London, Paris,Amsterdam, Geneva, Copenhagen and others.
The seminar was organised by the VietnamFatherland Front Committee in HCM City in collaboration with Friedrich EbertStiftung, Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations, Vietnam-Southeast AsiaFriendship Association and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.-VNS/VNA
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