From Smart Cities to Smart Communities: The Case of Children's Independent Mobility

by Paolo Traverso, Director, Center for IT, Fondazione Bruno Kessler

November 5th 2015 @ 09:45, in Room Garda (1st Floor) - Via Sommarive, 9

Abstract:

The idea of smart cities has mainly developed along a technology-centric vision, based on (broadband) communication networks, smart objects and internet of things, (open) public, private, and personal data made available by institutions and citizens, software based services, and so on. The vision of a smart community moves the emphasis towards the people living in the territory and towards the different communities of citizens sharing common goals, interests, and problems.

A key element of a smart community is the proactive participation of citizens to the public life and the related decision-making processes, the interaction with policy makers and city managers. However, the smart community vision does not neglect the importance and the need of technology. Techniques supporting different communities in their specific needs, enabling the creation of social networks, and speeding up the adaptation and personalization of services can be key elements supporting the growth of a smart community.

In my talk, I will present some ideas for a technology for smart communities through the project called “children's independent mobility”, which we have just started in collaboration with the municipality of Trento. In the case of “children walking buses” to/from school, the project involves different kinds of actors, institutions, and communities: families (e.g., parents), schools (e.g., teachers), neighborhood (e.g., shop owners), civic servants (e.g., urban police), and volunteers (e.g., elderly people helping children in crossing roads). Proper technology can support the whole community in the ideation, management and daily operation of children mobility initiatives and services. Personalized tools for knowledge sharing, community management and gamification techniques can play a key role to raise awareness, promote behavioural changes and increase the impact of policies and actions supporting children's independent mobility.

Speaker:

Paolo Traverso is the Director of FBK ICT IRST, the Center for Information and Communication Technology at FBK.

The Center counts about 200 people working on cognitive computing, complex data analytics, adaptive and reliable systems, health and wellbeing, and smart cities and communities. The Center is part of the European Institution of Innovation and Technology (EIT) in ICT, the EIT Digital, whose goal is to foster innovation and impact on market and society.

Paolo joined FBK IRST after working in the advanced technology groups of companies for management information consulting in Chicago, London, and Milan, where he led projects for the development of safety critical systems, data and knowledge management, and service oriented applications. He contributed to research in artificial intelligence, automated planning and service oriented computing.

He was Program Chair of the International Conference on Automated Planning and Scheduling (ICAPS), the International Conference on Service-Oriented Computing (ICSOC), the Extended Semantic Web Conference (ESWC), and the International Conference on Web Information Systems and Technologies (WEBIST).

His recent research interests are in automated planning under uncertainty, in the monitoring, adaptation, evolution of service-oriented applications, and in the development of new-generation services delivery platforms for improving individual and societal quality of life.

Note: This is a keynote talk to the SMAP 2015 Conference organized this year in Trento

Contact Info: Yannis Velegrakis (velgias@disi.unitn.eu)