Evelise Grunow

To enhance citizens’ well-being, we need to put citizens’ needs in front. And we need to focus on softer technology prioritizing flexibility, adaptability, and people-first approaches. How can digital engagement platforms help foster strong, inclusive communities and how can we better leverage emotional intelligence as a crucial foundation for decision-making and design?

By drawing on examples from a number of cities across the continent, this presentation will explore the extent to which place and space matter, in the age of platforms, social media and digital tools, and essentially offers an alternative conception of smart cities. Rather than seeing the smart city as an ideal to be achieved and yet to be implemented, the argument here is that technology infused livelihoods and everyday innovations are what define the digital age. The smart city exists, in the urban everyday, and is continuously being reinvented.

This dialogue discusses the role of smart city infrastructure in revolutionizing urban environments for the World Cup 2026 and beyond. By harnessing innovation now, cities pave the way for sustainable development that emphasizes community engagement, improved quality of life and inclusivity.