Sign up for an Award
Participate with your entry in one of our professional or student awards.
Sign up for an awardLearn more:
Unsupported browser
You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.
We are happy to announce our first iF forum during the Design Week Berlin: On 11 October, from 6 pm, at the Representation of Lower Saxony (In den Ministergärten 10, 10117 Berlin):
“What makes future cities smart and human?”
How can we make cities more efficient, technologically advanced and – at the same time – green and socially inclusive with the help of technical, economic and social innovations? This is a particularly tough task for designers, architects and city planners today, while the term “Smart City” is currently echoing in many future-driven cities worldwide.
Those and further questions are closely related to design or to the “creative industries” and are at the core of this year’s iF Design Forum at the Berlin Design Week 2019 (10 to 17 October).
We invited experts and designers from Germany, the Netherlands and France, who will give an
insight in the newest Smart City solutions and where our metropoles of the
world are heading to – economically, environmentally and socially: All sessions will be structured as presentations, followed by Q&A rounds. After the last session there will be a Get-together.
There is no entry fee, seats are limited. Registration required.
See below the speaker's schedule and topics in detail. The presentation language is English.
Ralph Wiegmann
CEO iF International Forum Design
Opening: What makes future cities smart and human?
What role does design play in the current approach of smart city thinkings? How do the creative industries step into this framework? These and other questions will be adressed as a starting point for the following sessions.
Rob Adams, Chief Expedition Officer at Sixfingers and founder of "Happy Citizen Design”:
"Smart cities: From Tech to Happy State"
Framing cities as smart or stupid is not only wrong but also narrows the focus to willing to be smart. This results in a tech focus with the citizen as a subject. Cities should centre around people, not technology. It is time to rethink the concept of smart cities. In his keynote Rob will focus on the lessons learned based on his smart city expertise combined with 13 years working with design thinking.
Beate Albert, Head of Department Smart Cities at Berlin Partner for Business and Technology:
"Smart City – Creating Berlin together"
In 2015, the Berlin Seante decided on the Smart City Berlin Strategy, which include expanding the international competitiveness of the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan region, increasing the resource eifficiency and climate neutrality of Berlin by 2050, and creating a pilot market for innovative applications. Berlin Partner for Business and Technology is helping implement these objectives - Beate explains how.
Adèle Berault, International Cooperation Officer at Lille Metropole 2020, World Design Capital:
"The greatest design experiment: In 2020, Lille Metropole will be the first French metropolis to become World Design Capital thanks to an innovative project: transforming its territory through design!"
Lille Metropole has been designated 2020 World Design Capital, which recognizes cities using design and user-focused method to boost economic, social, cultural and environmental development.