Smart Cities Should Also Be Inclusive and Accessible Cities

Chris Teale reports on the release of the Inclusive Innovation Playbook, a tool developed through a partnership between the Smart Cities for All initiative and AT&T. The guidebook seeks to ensure that urban innovation remains accessible to people with disabilities by focusing on five areas: people, economic assets, infrastructure, enabling environment, and networking assets.

"The playbook follows on the heels of a survey by Smart Cities for All that found 60% of global experts said smart cities are failing people with disabilities. In that same survey, a third of respondents were unsure if people with disabilities could use the products and solutions they are developing, while only 43% of respondents said they had a strong understanding of accessibility and inclusion in their products," writes Teale.

It also builds on the Inclusive Innovation for Smarter Cities, a project centered on developing inclusive smart city technology and design. "That project, which rolled out in New York City and Chicago, included roundtable discussions with entrepreneurs and innovation experts to gather information on how cities can foster greater inclusion as they look ahead to smart cities," notes Teale.