NEWS - 2019/02/04

Creative and inquisitive minds finding solutions and tools to address gentrification

As part of Smart City week, a three-day hackathon took place in Barcelona bringing together creative and inquisitive minds to find solutions and tools for the gentrification problem that affects the historic and tourist centres of Barcelona. The event was an initiative by the Barcelona City Council and BIT, and was organized by CARNET.

 

The Citython is an event at which small groups of young professionals search for innovative and creative solutions. It is an opportunity for students to come up with ideas that can be applied as a program, a prototype, a test model, a tool, a design solution or a concept.

 

During the first weekend of November 2018, an intense, fun session of co-creation, hacking and collaboration took place at Ca l’Alier. Data analysis at this event showed that some spaces become overcrowded because of the opportunities and facilities they offer, including transport nodes, tourism, leisure, shopping and events. To address the problem of overcrowding and tourism, ten teams of young professionals from urbanism and computer and data sciences proposed and designed specific management tools.

 

The CISCO award was given for a tool based on an artificial intelligence model, using street cameras to track the routes that locals and tourists take around the city. Bit Habitat awarded a team that developed an App for tourists and locals to take alternative routes, motivated by rewards along the way in the form of special discounts for use with some partners. Barcelona City Council awarded a system for modifying tax rates depending on when and where you occupy the city.

 

The winners of Citython Barcelona 2018 presented their projects at the Smart City Expo World Congress on the Barcelona City Council stand. They had a great time participating in this event, which was a good close to the Citython.