First ever Smart City Week in Dhaka begins on November 22

UNDP Bangladesh, Access to Information (a2i) Programme of the Prime Minister's Office and urban sector stakeholders are all set to jointly organise the first ever Smart City Week 2017 in Dhaka from November 22 to 28. With the theme 'Smart City Smart People', the event to build a home-grown vision of people-centric smart cities for all will be inaugurated through a three day (November 22-24) Smart City Innovation Hub at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre, said a UNDP press release on Monday. However, a cycle rally with the theme 'Ride Smart, Live Smart’ will kick off the campaign on November 18. The Smart City Week, a part of Smart City Campaign, will focus on building people-centred cities by not only investing in technology and infrastructures alone but also engaging smart people who care, respect and pay values to the society, according to the press release. Apart from the Innovation Hub, the weeklong event will also see a range of events including hackathon, roundtable discussion, photo exhibition, kite festival, citizen’s forum, City Day, children’s art competition and many more. The release said all these events will showcase innovative ideas that make cities people-friendly and contribute towards urban development by offering affordable and efficient services. Government and non-government agencies, city corporations, municipalities, public and private universities, urban experts and social entrepreneurs will come under one roof to present their views and plans for developing smart cities at the event, it added. Partner organisations for Smart City Week include a number of government and non-government organisations working on urban issues, BUET, Bangladesh Institute of Planners, Bengal institute of Architects, Landscapes and Settlements and Preneur Lab.