Presentation given by Maria Malho, Demos Helsinki, at Open & Agile Smart Cities' annual Connected Smart Cities & Communities Conference 2020 on 23 January in Brussels, Belgium

1. 23rd January 2020
Demos Helsinki
Maria Malho
maria.malho@demoshelsinki.fi
People-First Cities
Governing in the Age of Tensions

2. Demos Helsinki is an independent Nordic think tank.
We work to solve societal problems and challenges.
We aim towards a fair and sustainable society in which everyone
can shape the future in personally meaningful ways.
Demos Helsinki always has two customers – the one who orders the
project and the society which also benefits from each project.

3. Non-linear
climate
change
Rapid
digitalisation
of life
Two drivers
are shaping our
way of life
fundamentally

4. They have created tensions
Poverty is halved
We are richer than ever
Robot cars are hitting the street
Solar power competes with coal in price
AI beats humans in many non-routine tasks
In most parts of the world, girls go to school as
much as boys
Two billion people carry a networked computer
in their pocket
Geopolitical turbulence is back
Authoritarian political power is on rise
Wealth concentration is at a historical high
Less than half of rich countries’ populations
work permanently
Biggest companies in the world are on fossil or
digital industries
Western populations have pessimistic
anticipations of their future
Young generations have more psychological
illness than previous ones
Crucial ecosystems and climate are on
steady trajectory towards collapse

5. The
consequences
look like this

6. THE PROMISE

7. “Cities will solve the 21st century
global challenges”
“Localization of the
global agendas”
UCLG
“Digital cities for the benefit
of European citizens”
European Institute of
Innovation & Technology
“Toward a global
urban agenda”
UN-Habitat
“Cities are
climate leaders”
Eurocities
“Cities get the job
done”
C40

8. BUT HOW?

9. The missing link
Digitalisation
Climate change

10. The missing link
MANDATE
TOOLSDigitalisation
Climate change

11. “The crisis consists precisely
in the fact that the old is dying
and the new cannot be born;
in this interregnum
a great variety of morbid
symptoms appear.”
Antonio Gramsci

12. Smart City Narratives
SILICON VALLEY
Smart city model developed
and led by private
companies
BARCELONA?
Strong narrative with
thorough policy work
and ecosystem
CHINA
Smart cities as tool for
top-down governance

13. Barcelona Digital City
Source: https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/digital/sites/default/files/LE_MesuradeGovern_EN_9en.pdf
CITY STRATEGY AREAS CITY STRATEGIC GOAL AREAS

14. Governing the tension
by putting people first
Digitalisation
Barcelona Digital City
Creating the link

15. With the 4 biggest cities in Finland, we have started to
build on top of this narrative.
We understand putting people first as a way to
strengthen the mandate of cities in the age of tensions.
We are working on ways to better connect the existing
tools to this renewed mandate.

16. How can we do this together?

17. Thank you!
Maria Malho
maria.malho@demoshelsinki.fi
Interested in learning more?
demoshelsinki.fi