An interview with Sandra Baer, keynote speaker at Cityscape Bahrain.
In the rapidly evolving arena of urban planning, the quest to integrate sustainability with livability represents a crucial pivot toward future-proofing our cities. Sandra Baer is at the forefront of this transformative journey. Leading Personal Cities, a smart city company helping cities take bigger, bolder actions to reimagine their future, Baer’s vibrant career spans over two decades. She has carved a niche as a leading advocate for smart, sustainable city planning. In anticipation of her keynote address at Cityscape Bahrain, we sat down with her to discuss her visions and strategies for cultivating liveable urban environments.
Baer’s journey began in the telecom and wireless industries, where her role involved extensive travel to urban cities across the United States, liaising with mayors, governors, and corporate executives and gaining insights and appreciation of how a city works or could work. This experience not only sharpened her skills in corporate negotiation but also deepened her understanding of urban operational dynamics and the complexities of city governance.
"There are challenges cities face today in creating livable, workable, and sustainable environments," Baer notes. Her transition from telecom to smart city advocacy was driven by a desire to tackle these challenges head-on, leveraging technology and innovation to foster community well-being.
As the world population continues to surge towards an estimated 10 billion by 2050, Baer emphasizes the urgency of enhancing city livability as two out of three people are projected to live in cities. "Cities are where the action is," she states. "Our mandate is to ensure they offer economic, social, cultural, and environmental well-being." Her approach focuses on integrating livability with investment, promoting cities that are not only economically vibrant but also equitable, accessible, and culturally rich.
Baer’s upcoming keynote at Cityscape Bahrain on Thursday, 28 November 2024, "Building the Future - Integrating Livability and Investment for Sustainable Urban Growth," aims to highlight the core principles necessary for achieving these goals. Principles that she has accumulated over the course of her career.
She advocates for big, bold, and long-term thinking that transcends incremental changes. "We need to challenge ourselves to think differently, to think big, to embrace uncertainty, and to stay curious, optimistic and personal," she advises.
Livable Cities, Examples of Digital Urban Innovation, and their Challenges
For Baer, a livable city encapsulates safety, connectivity, sustainability, and accessibility. "It’s about ensuring affordable housing, efficient public transport, and vibrant public spaces that promote social interactions and cultural engagements," she explains.
Baer points to cities like Barcelona, Los Angeles, and Seoul as examples of urban innovation.
Barcelona, known for its Smart City Barcelona initiatives and internationally acclaimed holistic approach to urban resource integrated digital sensors to monitor the flow of waste, resulting in greater efficiency and cost savings. Baer points out that the city has also integrated intelligent energy and water management systems aimed at reducing consumption and promoting more sustainable resource use.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles’ SmartLA2028 plan reflects a strategy to “turn L.A from reliance on fossil girls into a data-driven, connected city, which addresses the digital divide and brings fresh ideas to the masses” Baer says. The SmartLA2028 plan states that the COVID crisis was a catalyst to the emergence of digital tools that enabled contact free services, accelerated medical solutions, real-time community engagement among many other innovations. Another example is the adoption of the metaverse in L.A. 's sports and entertainment industries, facilitating fan engagement programs that are hosted through virtual worlds.
Seoul is also utilizing virtual platforms, developing “Metaverse Seoul,” a comprehensive virtual map of the city that enables citizens to access services, hold meetings and explore landmarks. Baer shares, “With 100% of all 21+ million households in South Korea having access to the internet, the country is en route to becoming the world's fifth largest country in the global metaverse market by 2026”. In the city, digital transformation is underway in education, housing, healthcare and public transportation planning, adopting digital twin technology, drones, sensors, cameras, blockchain, AI and other Web3 tech.
However, Baer is cognizant of the challenges that persist, such as addressing social inequities, enhancing digital security, and mitigating environmental impacts. She states “As I see it, digital transformation, incorporating computer-based tech to create new business processes, culture and experiences, and the metaverse, is a combination of the physical and digital worlds and both are changing the way we live our lives.” Baer approaches these issues by fostering collaborative relationships, through her work, between public and private sectors, driving community-focused solutions that are both innovative and inclusive.
Looking Ahead
As we look to the future, Baer is optimistic yet realistic about the evolving landscape of urban planning. She predicts that the next decade will bring even more radical transformations as cities become smarter and more connected. Her ambition is not just to witness this change but to actively shape it. "I hope to inspire urban leaders to take the opportunities they have to empower our collective good," Baer reflects.
As Sandra Baer continues to champion the integration of livability and sustainability in urban development, her insights not only enlighten but also inspire action toward creating cities, not only in the region but globally, that are truly fit for the future. Her upcoming book, co-authored with Dr. Lawrence E. Jones, titled “Fixing the Trust Deficit Through Question Storming: Creating a Platform for Thinking Differently and Taking Courageous Actions,” underscores this commitment to building trust, promising a roadmap for cities aspiring to be smart, sustainable, and, above all, places where people thrive.
Noor Chehayber | Nov 13, 2024
