Citibeats Pilot Launched at Smart City Expo World Congress

According to the United Nations, over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. This number is growing; by 2050, two-thirds of us will live in cities. Urban population growth brings opportunities for shared services and new kinds of community. But it also creates challenges.

How can we make sure our cities share resources, engage citizens, and stay connected as they grow?

The answer is by making them smart. The smart cities movement is about giving urban areas the “technology to solve issues for themselves and the people they represent” through digital innovation.

In November 2017, Barcelona hosted the Smart City Expo World Congress. Over 700 cities were represented along with the best smart city technology. From interdisciplinary laboratories like CitizenLab to digital research centers like i2CAT to bikeshare solutions Urbikes, the most innovative urban projects came together under the motto: “Empower Cities. Empower People.”

How can we make sure our cities share resources, engage citizens, and stay connected as they grow?

It was the ideal time to introduce Citibeats, an AI platform designed to give decision-makers the power to listen to citizens and respond to their concerns.

Smart cities need smart leaders. Governments who understand their communities can make more intelligent decisions. Citibeats collects and analyzes data from online platforms to create a dashboard with a dynamic visual map of citizens’ concerns that changes as existing problems are resolved and new emerge. Citibeats can help create more responsive, inclusive, and vibrant cities.

At the Smart City Expo World Congress, we selected the first cities and organizations that would use the Citibeats pilot until March 2018, including Cork city and Doxa.