From jamaicaobserver.com
KINGSTON, JAMAICA – Delroy McLean, Senior Director of C&W Business Jamaica says technology cannot be the primary focus for Kingston to be a smart city, it requires stakeholder engagement, public-private partnerships and the successful navigation of social issues as critical milestones.
He said this while speaking on Wednesday at the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) Private Equity, Infrastructure, SMEs, Entrepreneurship & Innovation Conference on the topic, Kingston as a smart, creative city.
During his speech, McLean theorised that people are the enablers of technology, with the ability to impact the prospects for Kingston as a smart city and a “smart transformation” he said, cannot be technology-led with a focus on fixing people-problems, instead people must be at the centre of the process in order for the transformation to occur.
“We must re-evaluate the existing idea of a smart city: our people and cultural issues require us to begin by consulting with the residents and businesses in Kingston. Residents and businesses must buy into what it means to be part of a smart city and its prospects for a cohesive and augmented experience. Members of the informal economy such as people washing cars and vendors will also need to be included in this engagement process,” stated McLean.