New York-based think tank
Intelligent Community Forum has shortlisted Toronto in its quest to identify the world's most intelligent city.
More than 400 international cities entered the competition last fall, whittling it down to 21 then seven. Toronto joins Stratford, ON; Columbus, Ohio; Taichung City, Taiwan; Taoyuan County, Taiwan; Oulu, Finland and Tallinn, Estonia.
The "Intelligent Community of the Year" award is open to cities all over the world. It "isn’t about a city’s fame or its wealth or the number of brainy people walking the streets," an article in the Toronto Star says. "It’s about having the high-tech strategies and infrastructures and vision for a prosperous economy." This isn't about fast growing economies, but rather attributed to innovation and creating new paths.
Last year's winner Riverside, California took the prize home for its "mission to revamp itself as a innovation centre to attract new high technology business, incubate start-up tech companies and create jobs," as well as make computers accessible for everyone.
But Toronto's appeal stems largely from
Waterfront Toronto, the public advocate for waterfront revitalization. Kristina Verner, Waterfront's director of Intelligent Communities, told the Star that Toronto is an "amazing city to showcase."
Today and tomorrow, Toronto will be hosting Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) co-founder Robert Bell in a bid to win the award. In a press release, Waterfront Toronto's president and CEO John Campbell announced he'd be taking Bell on a tour with stops at "Ryerson's Digital Media Zone, George Brown College's Digital Media & Gaming Incubator, Evergreen Brickworks, Waterfront Toronto, Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games, and Sheridan College's Screen Industries Research and Training Centre at Pinewood Studios."
The Star reports that the winner will be announced in June once a decisions by an international jury consisting of "more than 200 former community winners, government officials, business leaders, academics and consultants" is reached.
Read the full article
here.
Original source: Toronto Star