Berlin Summit To Seek Smarter SolutionS

by TODD STOLARSKI | Dec 24, 2015

Smart living begets the sustainable development of a smart city. In turn, we can all hope for a smarter world. That’s where Berlin’s upcoming Metropolitan Solutions conference comes into play, presenting forward-thinking stakeholders from across the globe to elevate the discourse on future cities.

“Metropolitan Solutions delves into all the key themes and issues relating to urban development and presents integrated solutions for efficient, livable and sustainable cities,” says Dr. Jochen Köckler, the Deutsche Messe Managing Board member in charge of Metropolitan Solutions (MetSol). “It is a one-of-a-kind format that brings together a diverse array of conferences, backgrounds and disciplines. By fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration among companies and urban decision-makers, it paves the way for sustainable, long-term solutions for tomorrow’s cities.”

Relocating from Hannover to its new home in the German capital, one of the many highlights of next May 31-Jun 2 conference is sure to be the MetSol Design Award (MSD) Award. Now open for public submissions (until March 31, 2016), the honor recognizes and rewards exemplary initiatives to bridge the gap between private and public spaces. According to the MetSol website, the concepts submitted can and should use both high-tech and low-tech design elements to help redefine the liveability and amenity value of urban public spaces, focusing on design and sustainability aspects, such as user benefit, civic experience, intercultural exchange, the environment and economic efficiency.

As BuiltWorlds’ own ongoing SmartWorlds initiative has explored in depth, we are all facing a future where, the vast majority of the world’s population will soon be concentrated in megalopolises. This great urbanization can no longer be considered a mere trend, as it is driven not by the western industrialized nations, but rather by emerging economic powers in Asia, South America, and Europe.

That’s why an increasing number of urban planners now are embracing “smart” strategies and working hard to improve the quality of life of growing urban populations. In nearly all cases, the strategies are centered around digital integration, increasing the number of green spaces and building intelligent connected infrastructure -- a hopeful recipe for success that MetSol is happy to share.

To find out more about MetSol 2016, click here. To enter the MetSol Design contest, click here.

To contact the author, write to todd.stolarski@builtworlds.com, or follow him on Twitter @toddstolarski.