Each year, after the Smart21 Communities have been announced, the process continues with the announcement of the Top7 Communities of the Year, finalists for the award. Top7 Announcements typically take place in June. In addition to the awards for the TOP7 cities, this year’s conference will look at the following theme: After the Pandemic: How Digital Innovation Drives Growth in…
Blog by Robert Bell, ICF I wrote my last post, “Why Are We Falling Apart?” in response to a heartfelt editorial by David Brooks of The New York Times. Confronting today’s epidemic of inhumane behavior in America – reckless driving, unrest in schools, fights on airliners, hate crimes and murders – he asked, “What the hell is going on?” His plaintive and honest…
Fredericton is the capital of the province of New Brunswick and is recognized as an exceptional center for post-secondary education. It was recognized by ICF as a Smart21 community in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2020, 2021, and most recently in 2022. It also achieved Top7 recognition by ICF in 2008 and 2009. Fredericton boasts an economic development strategy aimed at building…
The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) has developed an extensive library of podcasts with thought leaders from around the world. See: https://www.intelligentcommunity.org/podcast. It is now planning to develop a series of podcasts with a focus on Canadian communities based on their strengths in one or more of ICF’s Success Factors: Connect; Work; Innovate; Engage; Include; Sustain. We would like to invite…
Upcoming ICF Podcast Series: Intelligent Canada Starting in May 2022 ICF will be introducing a new six-part series on its INTELLIGENT Community podcast program highlighting 12 Canadian intelligent communities. Each of the six episodes of the series will focus on an individual factor of the ICF Method – the framework developed by ICF to help communities of all sizes obtain…
The Regional Municipality of Durham, a SMART21 Intelligent Community in 2021 and 2022, includes eight cities, townships and municipalities in Southern Ontario. The Durham Region’s blend of suburban and rural areas results in a diverse portfolio of economic strengths, featuring an impressive agricultural sector while also being a major center of the Canadian automotive industry. The region is also the…
Dayna Spiring, President and CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg recently wrote in the Winnipeg Free Press: “We’ve worked hard for this recognition.” In her opinion piece, published on March 4, 2022, she points out the reasons why Winnipeg was chosen as the 2021 Intelligent Community of the Year. She wrote this to counter locals who have “mocked or questioned how…
The Grand Canyon came to mind when I read a heartbreaking editorial by my favorite columnist, David Brooks. Writing in The New York Times, Mr. Brooks spoke of an America falling apart at the seams. Bad things are on the rise: reckless driving and traffic fatalities, bad behavior in schools, fights on airliners, hate crimes and murders. Charitable giving and…
“According to global scientists, we are in a race against time to lower greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). But there is a potential solution on the horizon. According to the UN’s Environmental Program (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen: “Only digital technologies move at the speed and scale necessary to achieve the kind of dramatic reduction in emissions that we need to…
Professor Vinayak Bharne Director, My Liveable City (India & The Netherlands) Adjunct Associate Professor of Urbanism, University of Southern California (USA) ICF Canada welcomes Professor Vinayak Bharne to its Speaker’s Bureau. Professor Bharne is based in Los Angeles and is a leading thinker and practitioner in the fields of urban design and city planning and a frequent international speaker on issues…