GSC3 will play an instrumental role in the Smart City Floriade Expo which will take place in the Netherlands in 2022.
What can ‘green thinking’ do for you and for the world?
Exhibits and presentations at Expo 2022 Floriade Almere will show how the green city concept can be implemented and how to deal with urban challenges like feeding the city, improving the health of citizens, ensuring enough green space and reducing energy consumption.
Floriade will involve partners at a local, national and global level, with projects being identified by which cities, enterprises, research institutes and governments will work together on innovations and solutions for a green city. During the development of Floriade various (inter)national competitions will be initiated. Together we will build a green and healthy city that will serve as an example for future urban developments; and we will share the innovations with our partners, participants and visitors.
Pavilions will be developed around each topic and cities around the world will be given the opportunity to showcase their solutions for the future. The aim is to create collaboration from around the globe (Europe, Americas, Asia-Pacific).
At the Floriade site a new suburb of Almere will be developed with some 600 smart homes, of which 60 will be ready before the opening of the event. These houses can also be linked to what is on display in the Smart City Pavilions.
Since horticulture was the [original inspiration/initial vision] for Floriade, and that sector has been one of the leading ones in relation to sustainability and smart energy, there will be a strong focus on that green theme.
The Expo will last for six months and will take place in the City of Almere (near Amsterdam). The fact that it is built on reclaimed land from the former inland sea, now the lake IJsselmeer, will give the project an extra dimension.
GSC3 will be instrumental in organising the smart city pavilions, and its member cities were among the first to be informed; they will therefore take a leadership role in this collaboration project.
The Earth has seven billion inhabitants. More than 50% of these now live in cities. By 2050 this percentage will have increased to nearly 70%. With continuing relentless urbanisation we have no option but to look for ways of keeping our cities safe, healthy and attractive – to find a better balance between ‘grey’ and ‘green’.
Given this context, four sub-themes have been developed:
- Green – parks and green structures which make cities more attractive;
- Food – food production, safety and food security solutions;
- Health – the contribution of green structures to a healthy living environment, as well as the contribution made by green spaces to the physical and mental vitality of city inhabitants;
- Energy – sustainable energy solutions and the contribution of green spaces towards a vital city.
More information on the smart city pavilions will be made available over the next few months.
Paul Budde