Designed for People: Expert Insights on Building Smarter Cities

Designed for People: Expert Insights on Building Smarter Cities

Join us at the World Cities Summit 2024!

By UNDP Global Centre

Date and time

Tue, 4 Jun 2024 08:45 - 10:30 GMT+8

Location

Suntec Convention & Exhibition Centre, Singapore

1 Raffles Boulevard Singapore, 039593 Singapore

Agenda

8:45 AM - 9:00 AM

Registration

9:00 AM - 9:10 AM

Opening Remarks

Joe Hooper


Joe Hooper (Director, UNDP Global Centre) will be setting the stage on the importance of human-centred innovation and technology for development in cities.

9:10 AM - 9:40 AM

Lightning Talks by Five Experts

Cha-Ly Koh

Rohan Samarajiva

James Tan


Five renowned experts will unravel the 'What?', 'Why?', and 'How?' of five technologies that - if designed for people - can enhance urban lives and livelihoods: Artificial Intelligence with Cha-Ly Ko...

9:40 AM - 10:05 AM

Lightning Talks by Five Experts

Veronica Tan

Angel Hsu


Veronica Tan will touch on Cybersecurity, while Associate Prof. Angel Hsu will discuss Remote Sensing.

10:05 AM - 10:20 AM

Fireside Chat

Prof. Cheong Koon Hean

Joe Hooper


Prof. Cheong (Chair, Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities) will be sharing about Singapore's urban innovation journey in this fireside chat with Joe Hooper (Director, UNDP Global Centre).

10:20 AM - 10:30 AM

Closing Remarks

Prof. Simon Chesterman


As the Vice Provost (Educational Innovation) at the National University of Singapore, and the Senior Director of AI Governance at AI Singapore, Prof. Chesterman will speak to making technology work f...

About this event

  • 1 hour 45 minutes

Today technology is everywhere but access to - and use of it - remains uneven. We are all talking about AI, 5G, IoT, and Big Data. But how can we best use these tools to improve people’s lives in cities, more fully realising the potential that urban areas and urbanisation offers? Working in cities in over 100 countries and territories, UNDP has carefully selected global experts and thought leaders to share their insights, lessons, and tips on how to apply technology to transform urban environments for people.


City officials are now expected to be digital experts, whilst city residents are looking to government - national and subnational - to provide high quality services and experiences. And urban innovators are building new digital products and solutions in collaboration with cities. However, technology is moving fast and sometimes it’s not always clear where and how these new ideas and innovations can have the best possible impact. And the next big thing in tech, might not be the best thing. Bringing together a curated group of urban and technology experts, ‘Designed for People’ will feature:


  • Unique and engaging ‘Lightning Talks’ that will get you up-to-speed with the latest technologies and innovations for your city, and provide you with key information and new perspectives.
  • Ways to build ‘Smarter Cities’ - places where people, not technology, are the priority. And where thoughtful usage of technology can make a real difference for people’s lives and livelihoods.


Technology is exciting, but its direction and potential is not always clear. ‘Designed for People’ will bring global ideas and innovation to the World Cities Summit - translating technology to support your work, and your city. And sharing what you need to know (and what you may not find anywhere else) about putting digital into practice.


Reserve your free spot for this in-person event now, and we look forward to seeing you there!


Speakers:


Joe is the Director of the UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation, and Sustainable Development - a joint initiative of the Government of Singapore and the UNDP. He has 22 years of UN experience, previously serving as Senior Advisor in the UNDP Executive Office, developing flagship initiatives in the areas of digital technologies, finance, and sustainable development. He also held senior leadership roles at UN-Habitat, including as Head of Office in the State of Palestine and global Branch Coordinator for Urban Legislation, Land, and Governance. Joe holds an MBA (University of Oxford), and a Master of Arts (University of Victoria).


Cha-Ly is the Founder and CEO of Urbanmetry Sdn Bhd, a data company that cleans and analyses large amounts of city data, through its proprietary algorithms. Trained in city planning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA, Cha-Ly hopes to help governments, city planners, corporations and urban dwellers by providing insights into the city with big data. Since its founding, Urbanmetry has provided intelligence to various listed companies and government agencies including Sime Darby Property, Sunway Property, UEM Sunrise, Naza TTDI and so on.


Rohan is a policy entrepreneur focusing on the intersection of economics, law and technology. He founded LIRNEasia, a think tank active across South/South East Asia. He chaired the ICT Agency in 2018-19 and served as Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka. He was Associate Professor of Communication and Public Policy at the Ohio State University and Visiting Professor of Economics of Infrastructure at the Delft University of Technology. He received the SLT ZeroOne Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, and was recognized as an Internet Pioneer by the Sri Lanka Chapter of the Internet Society in 2015.


James is the Director for Smart City Technology Division (SCTD) in Govtech, and holds a double portfolio in JTC as the Director for Smart District Division. This Division supports agencies to develop and deploy Geospatial, IOT and Robotics systems and assists living technologies that support our aging population. In JTC, James leads a team that develops the Open Digital Platform - the Smart District Operating System for System Interoperability and Estate Management, leveraging digital twin technology to build a command-and-control system for the Punggol Digital District in Singapore. The platform underpins smart estate management for sustainability targets and manpower optimisation.


Veronica oversees the Safer Cyberspace portfolio in the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, where she leads the development of cybersecurity risk assessment frameworks for organisations and published the Cyber Essentials and Cyber Trust certification as national cybersecurity standards. Veronica actively engages in emerging technologies and was previously involved in developing emerging technology roadmaps in the Infocomm Media Development Authority. She is a Fellow with the Singapore University of Social Sciences and volunteers to support the university’s Fintech teaching and research activities. Before joining public sector, Veronica was in a network engineering role, managing carrier-grade networks in a leading ISP.


Angel is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Environment, Ecology and Energy (UNC-Chapel Hill). She founded and directs the Data-Driven EnviroLab. Her research applies remote sensing and geospatial data to evaluate environmental policy performance. She contributed to the IPCC 6th Assessment Report and led the 2018 UNEP Emissions Gap Report chapter on non-state and subnational actors. She advises governments and chaired the WEFs Global Future Councils. Angel was a TED Age of Amazement and TED Climate Countdown speaker. She has a Ph.D. in Environmental Policy (Yale University) and was an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies (Yale-NUS College, Singapore).


Prof. Cheong is Professor of Practice in the Singapore University of Technology and Design and chairs both the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities and the Centre for Liveable Cities Advisory Panel. She is also Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Finland. Previously the CEO of the URA and HDB and Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of National Development, she played a key role in the physical transformation of Singapore, including Marina Bay; and pioneered smart and sustainable public housing. Honoured with multiple awards, notably the public service Meritorious Medal, she continues to serve on expert panels and boards globally.


Prof. Chesterman is David Marshall Professor and Vice Provost (Educational Innovation) at the National University of Singapore, where he is also the founding Dean of NUS College. He is Senior Director of AI Governance at AI Singapore and Editor of the Asian Journal of International Law. Previously, he was Dean of NUS Law (2012-2022), and Global Professor and Director of the New York University School of Law Singapore Programme (2006-2011). Prior to joining NYU, he was a Senior Associate at the International Peace Academy and Director of UN Relations at the International Crisis Group in New York.


Master of Ceremonies:


  • Kay Vasey, Chief Connecting Officer and Founder, MeshMinds

Kay, a tech lawyer turned founder of MeshMinds, blends art and tech to advance climate action. She has collaborated with giants like Apple, Meta and UNEP, creating impactful projects like "Run For Nature" and "100 Days to Beat Plastic Pollution". Her films and games, including the award-winning (PLASTIK) and "Sky Farm Island," educate and inspire global audiences towards sustainability. Her mission: turning planet protection into the world's most engaging game.

Organised by

The UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development is a joint initiative by the Government of Singapore and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), aimed at identifying and co-creating technological solutions for sustainable development.