The City of Cape Town, South Africa is asking its residents to submit ideas to make Cape Town a smart city. The city wants to know about technologies and products that could leverage its existing infrastructure in the following areas: public safety, infrastructure planning and maintenance, energy efficiency, health and assisted living, platforms for economic, digital and social inclusion, transportation and integrated urban development, and, water and waste management. Ideas are also welcomed from innovators, technologists, telecommunications specialists, advertising agencies, social entrepreneurs, engineers, architects, designers, academic organisations, and NGOs working locally or internationally.
“We are looking for inspiration for new uses for existing technology and data. This will be used to improve our performance and enable residents and businesses to engage more effectively with the City,” a municipal spokesperson stated. “Proposed solutions should allow for adapting, upgrading and integrating additional functionality. The list is not exhaustive and responders are encouraged to share other idea.”
Raelene Arendse, the city’s mayoral committee member for corporate services, explains: “The global challenges of rapid urbanisation, climate change, increased pressure on resources, and the provision of infrastructure and services all need to be addressed at the city level. The city believes there are technology-based solutions out there that can enhance service delivery and make economic growth for residents a real possibility. Thinking outside the box and developing these solutions will help us move this city from good to great.”
Residents are encouraged to submit their ideas between January 19th and February 16th of this year. People interested in submitting their ideas should complete the online form and attach an electronic copy of ideas, which must not be more than 10 pages and 10 MB. You may make one or more submissions, depending on which areas of interest you are addressing. Future plans about Open Data will be presented at the upcoming Open Data Summit taking place on February 5th 2018 in Cape Town.
