Next week we are running a free event in London on “Smart City meets Networked City”, with a focus on how civic mapping plus digital technology can help connect people and support networks. There’s a few tickets left for the afternoon workshop discussions on March 27, and also for the evening session. More details about … Continue reading “Free London events on Smart and Networked Cities”
The Hub for London, supporting civil society organisations, is now advertising for its first chief executive – with some insights into how the organisation may operate. The recruitment notice says: The Hub for London is a new infrastructure support organisation for the region’s civil society. This new organisation will offer a range of support for … Continue reading “The Hub for London to support civil society now recruiting first chief executive #TheWayAhead”
An event in Camden last week showed what volunteers from the local community, and a locally-based company, can do together to address digital inclusion and isolation. The local volunteers have made Belsize library a community hub, following cuts in staffing. The eight company volunteers were from Dentsu Aegis Network, a global digital agency. The event … Continue reading “Over 60s in Camden confront digital exclusion in their community hub – with help from a local, global business”
London’s organisation for older people recommends the Mayor’s Smart City plan should address five key themes for digital inclusion: help in developing skills; training and research; co-designing digital services; connectivity and security; and transport services. The detailed recommendations from Positive Ageing in London follow from discussion at their conference last month. I wondered then whether … Continue reading “Older people need support from the @MayorofLondon to ensure #digitalinclusion in #SmartLondon”
The Mayor’s draft London Plan should give more recognition to the need for community space, affordable housing for people in the community and voluntary sectors, and a stronger voice for Londoners in developing plans. These are among recommendations from London funders and the new Hub for London, based on discussion at last week’s event with … Continue reading “Give more recognition to community needs and Londoners’ voices in #LondonPlan, @londonFunders urge @MayorofLondon”
Lively discussion and networking at today’s meeting about London Plan social infrastructure left me with plenty of insights and one over-riding impression: no-one is looking in-the-round at the future of London’s communities. That’s frustrating – but also an opportunity for convening different interests to realise the idea of co-production originally promoted in The Way Ahead … Continue reading “Lots of plans affecting London civil society – now we need someone to join them up for #TheWayAhead and @MayorofLondon”
City Hall have launched a “listening exercise” to help the Chief Digital Officer Theo Blackwell and his Board fulfil the Mayor’s aim to make London the world’s leading Smart City. Currently Bristol is judged to be in the lead with Manchester and Birmingham third and fourth. The Huawei UK Smart Cities Index rankings were calculated … Continue reading “Why Smart City London should be a #NetworkedCity: participatory, sharing, inclusive and accessible”
The main theme of the address from CEO Matthew Taylor at last night’s RSA AGM was Convening and Change – which further encourages me to think that the project a group of us pitched last week could contribute to the Society’s mission … and the RSA to ours. In summary, I suggested at an RSA … Continue reading “How we can apply @thersaorg vision of Convening and Change from @RSAMatthew to London’s civil society”
We have a couple of exciting opportunities in the next few days to take forward the idea of building networks at different levels to connect Londoners and their communities. Tonight I’ll be joining Nicolas Fonty of JustMap at City Hall to explore further with Deputy Mayor Matthew Ryder QC how a combination of network and … Continue reading “Explaining to London’s Deputy Mayor @rydermc how mapping can help connect Londoners and #reclaimourspaces”
Today some 180 people passionate about the future of London communities are getting togther to share ideas about how to organise social action and support local groups in the face of funding cuts and major social challenges. A few weeks ago London funding organisations and their partners held an official event on how to support … Continue reading “Why #OurWayAhead will be #GoodforLDN civil society”