Londoners will have the opportunity to inform how smart technology could shape the future of life in the capital by giving their views and ideas to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
Last year, Sadiq declared his ambition for London to be the world’s leading smart city – the Smart London Plan, which is being developed under the leadership of the capital’s first Chief Digital Officer, Theo Blackwell, and the new Smart London Board, and which will be a roadmap towards realising this ambition.
The Mayor is asking the tech community what can be done to ensure better digital collaboration across London’s boroughs and public services, better data-sharing, improved connectivity and digital skills, and to ensure that technology is designed around Londoners’ needs.
The Plan will be developed with partnership with Bloomberg Associates to ensure London’s ambitions match those in other world cities and will be launched at London Tech Week in June.
The call comes as Transport for London (TfL) makes a major bid, supported by the Mayor of London and backed by a group of London councils, for government funding to tackle not-spots – areas of poor internet provision – and provide better digital connectivity for Londoners.
If successful, the funding, which is being made available by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, would be used to extend already-planned full fibre-optic connectivity on the underground network to public buildings near to tube stations, improve connectivity and end remaining not-spots in central London. This was made possible through an unprecedented collaboration between the Mayor, boroughs and TFL to use public assets.
