Citython 2020: Experts and citizens reshaping urban spaces of today and tomorrow

Gentrification, lack of accessibility, air pollution, environmental degradation and waste-disposal problems are exacerbated by the increasing population density and demands of urban areas. Cities today face many challenges, and the cities of tomorrow will deal with more if we do not take action to prevent them.

How can cities properly respond to today’s challenges and perhaps tomorrow’s challenges too?

Citython 2019, an opportunity for citizens, students and experts to dream up original ideas and unconventional solutions to tackle city challenges, was held for the second time in a row during Smart City Week in Barcelona in November 2019.  In 2020, it will extend its frontiers to Lublin during the spring and Amsterdam during the summer, thanks to the organization of CARNET, the support of EIT Urban Mobility, and the collaboration of the UPC. Partnerships between the public and private sector are a potential solution to the deep-rooted problems facing cities.

Solutions to urban problems need to evolve in tandem with industry, cities and their citizens. Today’s city challenges call for a more holistic approach to problem solving that puts citizens at the center of innovations. A citython is a creative, interactive process, where a group of experts and students in urban planning, sociology, engineering, data science and business creation work together to foster innovation in our cities.

 

A webinar and a wide range of mentoring sessions will be held during the events to extract insights from the problem statement and enhance awareness of new technologies, with the aim of co-creating and developing the most original, innovative solutions that can be applied as a program, a prototype, a test model, a tool or a business concept. These proposals will be implemented during an intensive two-day hacking session and will be presented to selected jury members who will evaluate the projects at the end of the competition.

The winning teams of each edition will be awarded a prize of €1,500, and the opportunity to present their projects at the Barcelona City Council stand during the Smart City Expo World Congress 2020. The next steps include validating the results through academic research and further repetition, with the goal of scaling up the ideas and engaging a range of stakeholders with the vision for tackling future city problems.

Visit our website regularly to find out the next steps!