Region setting sights on Smart Cities

Following in the footsteps of the City of Oshawa, the Region of Durham is looking to get into the Smart Cities game.

Residents, community partners, businesses, academics, students, government officials and tech industry leaders in Durham Region and beyond are invited to the Hello Tomorrow: Durham Smart Cities Forum.

The forum will take place Saturday, Sept. 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in room UB2080 at University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in Oshawa.

According to a media release, the region is looking for technology solutions to strengthen decision making and improve service delivery for the people who live and work in the area.

Through discussions, exhibits, and demonstrations, the forum will highlight local examples of smart cities approaches and technologies, celebrate work already underway, and begin collaborating with key stakeholders to design the path forward.

The forum will be the first of multiple public engagement activities undertaken by the region to develop and submit an application for Infrastructure Canada’s next round of the Smart Cities Challenge.

The Smart Cities Challenge is a nationwide competition hosted by Infrastructure Canada.

It is open to communities of all sizes, including municipalities, regional governments, and Indigenous communities.

The challenge encourages communities to improve the lives of local residents through innovation, data and connected technology.

Earlier this year, the City of Oshawa finalized its application for the first round of the challenge, but was unsuccessful.

For registration information and the latest news on the forum, visit durham.ca/SmartCities and follow the Region of Durham’s social media channels.

Tickets are $25 each. A limited number of free early bird tickets are available using the promo code SmartDurham.

The forum is in partnership with University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) and Durham College.