Smart City Expo World Congress Barcelona: A Reflection on Innovation, Connection, and Humanity 🌟
The #SCWEC has long been a hub for reimagining urban life, bringing together pioneers, visionaries, and transformative ideas. It’s a space where innovation thrives, yet it also raises profound questions: Are we truly building better cities, or are we simply showcasing ideas disconnected from the realities of everyday citizens?
In my latest article, I reflect on the Expo's dual nature—its capacity to inspire collaboration and creativity, but also its tendency to highlight perfection over imperfection, transaction over connection. Drawing on philosophical insights from Spinoza to Camus, I explore the deeper truths behind urban development: the need for clarity, introspection, and above all, compassion.
Events like the one BizzTech organized in Tenerife, with its genuine openness and camaraderie, and the groundbreaking gatherings in the Emirates remind us that human connection lies at the heart of innovation. True progress emerges not from polished presentations but from moments of vulnerability, shared understanding, and a collective longing to create something better.
In today’s world, the simplest acts of kindness—empathy, respect, and love—are acts of rebellion. These qualities reject rigid systems and embrace the chaotic beauty of human nature, as Spinoza and Camus once championed. They remind us that to "live better" begins with striving to be better.
💡 "Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being," wrote Camus. Let us embrace this rebellion—not just for ourselves, but for the cities and communities we seek to transform.
👉 Full article here also https://lnkd.in/dfgqiHRB
How do we ensure that innovation reflects the true needs of people? Let’s spark a deeper conversation about the cities of tomorrow. 💬
Joe Appleton, Esther Fuldauer, Frans-Anton Vermast Smart Cities, Gordon Falconer, Jorge Saraiva, Rob Adams, Meredith Hodgman, F r a n c i s c o M o r c i l l o, Carlos Moreno, Andrew Collinge, Piero Pelizzaro, 🌹Méi W., James Noakes PIEMA FRSA, Khaled Daher, Pedro Rodrigues, Daouda GUEYE, Karima-Catherine Goundiam, Fanni Melles, PhD, Olga Dzieciatkowska, Anna Majo Crespo, Carles Agustí i Hernandez, Aleksander Orlowski, Barry Gillespie, Natalia Olson-Urtecho, Corey Gray, Dirk Schmidt, Rosi Vieira, Jason Shuster, Gráinne Flynn, Sandra Baer, Dr Christina Yan Zhang, Esteve Almirall, Diego Cooper Hernández, Saskia Beer, Pablo Sanchez Chillon, Pedro Roseiro, Kurt Hostettler, Michael Lake
#zoomglobal #smartcities #lovethefuture #theclash #philosophy #freesmartcities #vanguardcities #ethics #events
