Apcs

Paving Way towards Technology Driven Sustainable City

Participants of 2017 Asia Pacific Summit & Mayors’ Forum, Daejeon, 10-13 September 2017.

“Because solutions are available and shared, we can do and make “the leapfrog” in our local development.”

- Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi, Secretary General of UCLG ASPAC

AN atmosphere of confidence was present in all sessions of the 2017 Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayors’ Forum (2017 APCS). Conducted in Daejeon City, Republic of Korea from 10th to 13th September, the 2017 APCS gathered mayors, experts and key speakers to inspire all attendees to achieve the sustainable city aspiration through this Forum entitled “Shaping the Future of the Asia-Pacific.”

UCLG ASPAC mobilized its members to attend the 2017 APCS which proved to be the largest gathering of APCS so far. Daejeon, an active member of UCLG ASPAC is designated as a scientific and technological innovation city.

It is a capital of the 4th industrial revolution including the development and application of Artificial Intelligence (IR). Recognizing the role of Daejeon City, no doubt the theme of the 2017 APCS has enriched our discussions on role and responsibilities of local governments in shaping our cities over rapid development in science and technology.

Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi, Secretary General representing UCLG ASPAC, elaborated on how local government can play its critical role in delivering public services to people. According to her, local government has access to solutions, either governance, infrastructure improvement, and thus rooms for upgrading our cities are widely open. It all depends on “how to capture challenges and solutions,” she said.

This 2017 APCS also highlighted critical issues affecting cities, including innovating cities through science and technology, city revitalization through vibrant business activities, achieving sustainable city solutions, and recreating cities through art and culture. Finally, the delegates enjoyed the unique opportunity of directly experiencing development in the field of technology through virtual reality (VR). VR is already being used for various purposes, including in trainings for humanitarian response; and sooner or later, it could be widely applied in more fields, including urban governance.

Secretary General had a bilateral meeting with Mr. Frank Rijsberman, Director General of Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) for possible cooperation between two institutions.

Internal Affairs Minister Kobebe Taitai from Kiribati, a member of UCLG ASPAC and delegation had a bilateral meeting with Secretary General to discuss programs in Pacific islands.

APCS and Mayors’ Forum is an event initiated by Brisbane City Council. It was started in 1996 and held biennially since 1999.