Learning what makes cities work: the power of multi-sectoral approaches
Panel Discussion
About the Event
This panel will explore how city governments, industry players, civil society actors, and researchers can collaborate using shared digital infrastructure to better understand and innovate for their cities. Panelists will represent the perspectives of government, industry, civil society, and academia on the collection and use of administrative and performance data, how it can be supplemented through other sources or methods, and how it can provide a basis for rapid diagnosis and innovation to improve urban governance.
As more and more cities describe themselves as "Smart Cities", what does this mean for data, innovation, and learning systems or practices? Is it possible to build a coherent, data-based view of the city? Is it possible to create or adopt global standards for such data, or to set common understandings and aspirations for city systems? Panelists will also consider the challenges and limits of such an approach, especially in smaller cities which already operate under significant capacity constraints.
As more and more cities describe themselves as "Smart Cities", what does this mean for data, innovation, and learning systems or practices? Is it possible to build a coherent, data-based view of the city? Is it possible to create or adopt global standards for such data, or to set common understandings and aspirations for city systems? Panelists will also consider the challenges and limits of such an approach, especially in smaller cities which already operate under significant capacity constraints.
Speakers
| Name | Title | Biography |
|---|---|---|
| Gautham Ravichander | Head of Policy Initiatives | (Moderator) Gautham leads eGov’s policy initiatives with the Government of India and various ecosystem partners. He started his career at Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, where he led the Ward Infrastructure Index Program, and was a founding team member of The Education Alliance. |
| Dr. Sarayu Natarajan | Founder | Dr. Sarayu Natarajan is the founder of Aapti Institute, a research institution focused on the frontiers of tech and society. She has a background in management consulting (McKinsey & Co), venture investing (Elevar Equity), program management (Gray Matters Capital), & academic research. |
| Pritika Hingorani | Director and Research Fellow | Pritika Hingorani is Director and Research Fellow at IDFC Institute, where she leads urban sector research. She has a Masters in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, & extensive experience researching and writing on cities, infrastructure, and access to housing & services. |
| Jagan Shah | Senior Infrastructure Advisor | Jagan Shah is an urban sector thought leader, with extensive experience facilitating multi-stakeholder conversations on urban planning &development challenges. He was formerly Director of the National Institute of Urban Affairs, and is the author of "Contemporary Indian Architecture" (2008). |
| Shrinivas Kowligi | Smart Cities Expert | Shrinivas Kowligi is an independent consultant, with extensive experience in the Smart Cities practice, having previously led the ASEAN Smarter Cities Initiative at IBM, and having served as CEO of India Urban Space. He holds a PG Diploma from the Institute of Rural Management, Anand. |