About a week ago ICF announced next year’s (2010) smart21 cities. 7 of these cities will be awarded the Intelligent Community award in January. According to ICF, “Intelligent Communities are those which have – whether through crisis or foresight – come to understand the enormous challenges of the Broadband Economy, and have taken conscious steps to create an economy capable of prospering in it. They are not necessarily big cities or famous technology hubs. They are located in developing nations as well as industrialized ones, suburbs as well as cities, the hinterland as well as the coast.”
Trikala, the host city of Broadband Cities 2008, is included for the second consequtive year in the top 21 cities. I look forward to see more cities from Greece joining the list in the future. Having visited Trikala last year, I have to admit that the broadband efforts of the municipal executives have an apparent effect to the citizens and the cultural life of the city. Trikala is one the few cities in the periphery of the country that do feel comfortable with broadband.
Intelligent Communities are those which have – whether through crisis or foresight – come to understand the enormous challenges of the Broadband Economy, and have taken conscious steps to create an economy capable of prospering in it. They are not necessarily big cities or famous technology hubs. They are located in developing nations as well as industrialized ones, suburbs as well as cities, the hinterland as well as the coast.
