Building a city for the future

Earlier this month, more than 100 chief executives from 15 countries around the globe gathered in Singapore. They were in the city state to talk about the theme “Always with the Future in Mind.”

They included leaders from the digital and marketing, hotel and food & beverage sectors along with real estate and construction industries. While networking and collaborating across industries, they were discussing a technology-driven future – one with people at the heart.

In his opening keynote speech for Networks Converge, Singapore’s Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong shared Singapore’s urban planning experiences and strategies. “We plan on making our city smarter and are harnessing technology across a whole lot of different areas.”

Wong cited examples of how Singapore is using drones for building inspections, testing autonomous vehicles and shuttles, while building 5G standalone networks.

But he added that while technology is a big push when building better cities, the imperative is to have a city that is people-centred. Planning strategies should focus on creating attractive places where people can live, work and play.

The networking event was hosted by YPO, a global community of chief executives.