The World Economic Forum has released a new report, Inspiring Future Cities & Urban Services in which it highlights the emerging technologies and business models that are changing the way urban services are delivered. It proposes a 10-step action plan to enable cities to navigate the journey of urban transformation.

The “business of running cities” is changing rapidly due to the emergence of new business models and technologies, which cover a wide range of urban services, such as mobility, infrastructure, energy, water, waste management, health, safety, security, welfare, the environment, knowledge, skills and culture. It also requires the involvement of a large number of stakeholders in the planning and administrative process, including governments, citizens, the private sector and NGOs.

The World Economic Forum’s new report, Inspiring Future Cities & Urban Services, identifies the way in which emerging technologies and new business models are transforming how cities plan and operate. The report, written in collaboration with PwC, identifies how innovative business models – such as the sharing and circular economy, digital integration of services, public asset revitalization, innovative outsourcing – will unleash excess capacities in the urban realm and enable cities to do more with less. The report chronicles technology innovations such as the internet of things, mobile-based sensing, location and condition sensing, data analytics and open data, which will enable cities to tackle a myriad of urban challenges.

As cities try to embrace innovation in an effort to address major urban challenges, they are overwhelmed with issues such as budget constraints, flawed governance structure, lack of leadership commitment and talent, lack of trust among stakeholders (citizens, government and private sector), and external issues such as migration and demographic changes. The World Economic Forum recommends that city governments:

• Usher in regulatory reforms to attract capital and human resources in an increasingly competitive landscape
• Develop agile, transparent and city-scale governments to rapidly respond to an ever-changing global environment
• Develop institutional capacity by investing in people and processes
• Empower city leaders to change the default position of being risk-averse and take calculated risks
• Involve citizens, NGOs, the private sector and academics in decision-making to improve legitimacy and build trust
• Achieve the right balance to allow for organic growth while adhering to master plans
• Leverage standards and promote reuse to reduce cost and promote interoperability

Gregory Hodkinson, Chairman, Arup Group, said: “Today, 54% of our global population live in cities and by 2050 it is estimated to reach 66%, which is an increase of 2.5 billion in the urban population. While our cities face many challenges, such as climate change, social segregation, economic development and resource constraints, new business models and emerging technologies have disrupted the way urban services are being delivered and resulted in excess capacity within cities being efficiently utilized. However, technology does not provide a silver-bullet solution to urban problems and instead a holistic approach is required that will transform planning, governance and regulatory aspects.”

“In the Fourth Industrial Revolution we are likely to see the biggest industrial shifts in a generation, changing the way we work and live in the urban environment.

Innovations such as 3D printing, artificial intelligence and next-generation robotics will shift models of work and production in ways that are impossible to predict. Cities and businesses need to be adaptive. Public-private collaboration will be required to enable cities to navigate the path of this urban transformation,” said Alice Charles, Lead, Urban Development, World Economic Forum.

The report recommends that the private sector should be made an equal stakeholder across the entire urban development value chain, with the public sector driving phases such as policy-making, planning and monitoring, and the private sector taking a lead in design, implementation, operations and management, and financing. The risks associated with entering into public-private partnerships are different across the developing world (risks are more fundamental pertaining to business environment and apply to most project phases) and the developed world (risks are centred around project phases such as planning, construction and termination). The report recommends that government initiate actions, such as creating a stable regulatory environment, introducing administrative reforms and developing reliable dispute resolution mechanisms to address the risks. It also recommends that the private sector further engage with government and the local population to develop trust.

Hazem Galal, Global Leader, Cities and Local Government Network, PwC, added: “Cities will have to ensure that their DNA (fundamental social and economic characteristics) is retained while they make the journey towards urban transformation. Cities should be willing to experiment and at the same time learn from other cities while they develop unique city-specific solutions that leverage an accepted standard. Cities will have to create a balanced strategy which gives due considerations to social, economic, environmental dimensions.”

The report provides a framework for cities to classify various urban dimensions across levels of maturity ranging from rudimentary (for example, a city which is addressing demand supply gaps across various urban services) to scalable (for example, a city that can adapt to changing needs), and suggests a 10-step action plan for cities planning to navigate the urban transformation journey.

In 2016, the World Economic Forum’s infrastructure and urban development industry partners will identify ways in which the private sector can enable cities to meet the new global priorities and targets, as set out in the Sendai Framework, Sustainable Development Goals and COP21, as well as implement the new 20-year urban agenda being set out in Habitat III. The Forum will also undertake a deep dive on migration and cities, exploring the types, causes and patterns of migration to cities and identify ways to enhance public-private cooperation to respond to this growing challenge, and assess how cities can leverage the opportunity presented by the circular and sharing economy to do more with less.

The World Economic Forum’s Shaping Future of Urban Development and Services Initiative serves as a partner in transformation to cities around the world as they seek to address major urban challenges and transition towards smarter, more sustainable cities in this rapidly urbanizing world. Directed by a Steering Board and guided by an Advisory Board, the Future of Urban Development and Services Initiative works in collaboration with local partners.

 

For many businesses, office printing represents one of the largest expense categories, and yet few business leaders give it much thought. Some companies attempt to create a paperless office, and then they face all of the practical challenges and security uncertainties that accompany making that shift. Others ride a status quo that tacitly allows printing of any kind.

But for executive leaders who are constantly looking for ways to remain competitive and improve how they do business, the answer typically lies between those two extremes.

By switching to secure print solutions and fostering more mindful printing habits around the workplace, businesses can not only save millions of dollars, but they can also slash their carbon footprints significantly. The transition doesn’t happen overnight, but it soon leads to a more cost-efficient, secure, and healthy business.

The Simple Beauty of Mindful Printing

Today, some of the most effective business leaders have legacy-driven mindsets; they focus on taking actions that produce lasting results and have sustained positive impacts on their companies and their people. Initiating change in the way people print may not sound particularly exciting or revolutionary at first, but the mindful habits that a sustainable print strategy instills in employees will have a beneficial, evergreen influence for years to come.

Simply put, mindful printing reduces the amount of resources your company consumes.

When people understand the impact of each decision to print, they typically become more conscientious of their roles in meeting the company’s cost-savings and sustainability goals. This isn’t to suggest that employees should never print something that isn’t part of a required business process or workflow — it’s about fostering awareness and mindful habits.

A company comprised of people who understand the costs associated with printing and how mindful printing habits align with company goals will inevitably consume fewer resources and spend less money. Beyond the paper, ink and toner, and all of the resources that go into creating those consumables, you have to factor in total energy costs and the labor costs of IT resources tasked with managing print.

When demand for print is mindful across the enterprise, you also need fewer printing devices to meet that reduced demand. Fewer devices means less time and money spent to maintain a printer fleet. In our experience at Pharos, this factor alone has resulted in significant savings for many companies. We’ve found that on average, a company with 10,000 employees can save upward of $1.5 million every year by implementing the right print strategy.

Mindful print solutions improve a company’s security as well. Employees print to a secure, encrypted network queue and then use their identification or access cards to authenticate at whichever device is most convenient for them. This simple, flexible workflow encourages employees to think before they print, ensures document confidentiality, and practically eliminates “tray trash” — those uncollected, forgotten documents you often see in or around a printer, waiting for the wrong hands to them pick up.

It also enables the company to monitor who’s printing what and at how much cost. These insights reveal ongoing opportunities for improvement toward meeting cost-savings and sustainability goals.

Fostering Mindful Print Practices in the Workplace

Obtaining the right technology for secure printing is fairly straightforward. That solution alone goes a long way toward making people think about their printing choices. But to get the most out of any print management solution, you have to establish more mindful printing habits across the organization to reduce the overall demand for print.

Here are three ways you can encourage staff to be more mindful with their printing choices:

1. Establish printing policies, and make employees aware of them.

Print management software will help you figure out where the most waste is occurring. But even before that, there are some obvious places to start policing, such as personal printing. Printing from email clients and web browsers is rarely essential for business, and with the exception of marketing or presentation materials, who really needs to print in color? It’s often eight times more expensive than black and white, sometimes more.

You don’t have to set absolute rules or create the impression that the company is “cracking down” on print. The occasional personal document isn’t going to tank your budget on its own. But policies designed to inform employees about the cost of printing and that encourage people to think more critically about whether something really needs to be printed — that’s how you reach the tipping point.

2. Be a role model.

Modeling desired behavior is an underappreciated form of business leadership. Leading by example is an extremely effective way to encourage employees to embrace change.

In other words, clean up your own house before asking others to do likewise. Be a steward of print by illustrating through action the positive effects that reducing print volumes can have on your company.

3. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

Help employees understand the rationale behind your new printing policies, and explain how they can be proactive agents of change. Presenting the shift to a more sustainable workplace as a strategic cause will engage their minds and hearts, and it will make the job of managing the change far easier.

Look at it as an internal marketing campaign for your employees. Sell them on the value of mindful printing — whether it’s the money the company will save or its positive impact on the environment. Whatever the angle, make sure your employees can understand and internalize it as more than just a directive from the top, but as an important goal they should be eager to help the company to reach.

Breaking out of old habits is never easy — at Pharos we know this firsthand. Having guided a variety of organizations through the transition to more mindful printing, we understand just how difficult managing change can be for business leaders.

Clear communication increases cooperation. When employees are able to understand why the changes are being made, as well as their own roles in carrying them out, your company can move forward as a unified front — with each person committed to creating a better future.

Dale McIntyre serves as a vice president at Pharos Systems International, an enterprise print solutions provider based in Rochester, New York. Dale provides strategic leadership in the areas of sustainability, brand, and customer engagement. He regularly shares his unique sustainability perspective on print strategy through blogs, webinars, and appearances.

The organisers of Earth Hour are encouraging you to switch on your social power and switch off your power sockets to shine a light on climate action on Saturday, March 19 between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. 

To show support for Earth Hour, customers can safely go “off the grid” by turning off all non-essential lighting, appliances and devices. If using candles as a light source, do not leave them unattended. The event is held worldwide annually encouraging individuals, communities, households and businesses to turn off their non-essential electrical appliances and lights for one hour as a symbol for their commitment to the planet.

It was famously started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Since then it has grown to engage more than 7,000 cities and towns worldwide. Today, Earth Hour engages a massive mainstream community on a broad range of environmental issues.

Earth Hour is a global environmental initiative in partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Last year, electricity usage during Earth Hour dropped by 3.5%.

CONSERVATION TIPS 

• In the winter months keep curtains open to heat your home naturally; in summer, close them to keep your home cool 
• Shift your laundry and set your dishwasher to start after 7 p.m. when off-peak prices begin 
• Turn down your thermostat. For every degree lower, you’ll save up to 3% on heating costs 
• Unplug appliances and devices that aren’t being used to avoid phantom power 

httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxhHhyjcTmo