Representatives from more than 350 cities around the world will gather for 3rd Smart City Expo Latam Congress (SCELC) from July 2 to 4 in Puebla, Mexico.
Fira Barcelona Mexico organized the Congress. It will bring around 13,000 visitors to the central-southern city of Mexico. This year’s theme will be “Radical inclusion, a space for all.”
The conference will feature presentations by 280 experts in urban planning and innovation.
Connect and collaborate with citizens
“This summit is the biggest event for urban and land transformation in Latin America,” said the president of Fira Barcelona Mexico Manuel Redondo during a presentation on Wednesday.
The conference’s purpose was to promote projects that seek to improve the quality of life of citizens through joining efforts of agents of change, including government at all levels, civil society organizations, universities, companies, and other institutions.
In this edition of SCELC, one of the challenges is to connect with citizens, who should collaborate in the conception of cities and participate more in areas such as urban planning, waste management, mobility, and water use, said Redondo.
The 3rd SCELC will focus on mobility and land use planning; citizen empowerment and public government; equity, learning and culture; energy and environment; economic development; security and flexibility; conservation; and water optimization.
The event is a celebration and an open space for countries to collaborate and propose solutions for the urban challenges of Latin America, according to the organizers.
One of the Congress’ legacies is the Smart LatAm Alliance, in partnership with UN-Habitat, a platform created for public and private institutions whose mission is urban and land transformation in the region, organizers said.
“We know that the meeting and the alliance are a public good for the region, which benefits everyone. The initiative strives to impact all of Latin America and the Caribbean, something that the United Nations cannot ignore, “said Elkin Velásquez, regional director of UN-Habitat in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Fira Barcelona said that the SCELC in Puebla demonstrates the international expansion of conferences of smart cities and would be the number 2 in terms of visitors, since it will only be located in the World Congress of Smart City Expo, which will take place in Barcelona, Spain, in November.