Real Estate and Innovation Coordinator at IE Smart Cities Club - Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain
By 2050, 70% of the world's population will be living in urban areas - a considerable increase compared to today both in percentage and in absolute value. Cities are both the most decentralized form of government and, because of the increase in urbanization, have the most political leverage to foster change. Thus, in order to guarantee a long-lasting and sustainable anthropocentric environment we need to foster change by leading the transformation of traditional cities into smart cities. The IE Smart Cities Club:As of 2020, no city has fully achieved the smart city status, although many cities across the world have already implemented some very innovative initiatives and/or are building new neighbourhoods with this mindset. At the IE Smart Cities Club, we believe in the increasing role cities are bound to play in the world's ecosystem and we are committed to deepen our understanding of the complex system cities form in order to pinpoint where the opportunities rest. The topics we wish to address in the club are: 1. Urban planning and building2. Energy efficiency3. Resource management (including water and waste)4. Security and inclusion 5. Urban mobilityIn order to address this variety of topics we wish to organize the following activities:• Field trips to cities with success stories (Santander, Amsterdam, Barcelona, …)• An annual trip to attend the Smart Cities Expo in Barcelona• Lectures by business leaders and academics on Smart Cities and particular focused topics• An annual hackathon open to all IE students and organized in partnership with the city of Madrid to solve a challenge the capital is facing.