Smart Towns, Smart Cities – Creating Wired Spaces

Many towns and cities around the world are recognising the need to equip their citizens with the tools and culture to prosper in the broadband economy. The Intelligent Community Forum lists the indicators for an intelligent community as:

• broadband infrastructure
• knowledge-based workforce
• innovation
• digital democracy
• marketing and advocacy

Broadband is now an essential tool for job creation and growth. With government and community programs that promote its use, the community can benefit from increases in collaboration, innovation and quality of life.

Case Study: Innovation hotspots – intelligent community driving prosperity
Intelligent Waterloo

Building Community Capacity / Bridging Divides

Fast, cheap access to broadband technologies encourages people to engage with communities of interest regardless of geographical location. Access to digital technologies provides people in regional and remote communities easier and more effective interaction with community groups, social services, government and learning opportunities.

Interactive social media opens up rich new possibilities for learning and collaboration:

• students and pupils can access the same services at home, at school, in college or at university
• learning can be directly integrated into work and other social activities
• learning can now be interactive and, as a result, more interesting and motivating
• many courses are now available in electronic, highly interactive forms
• learning can be specifically directed towards each individual’s work and social needs
• lifelong learning can now occur, taking advantage of 24/7 high speed access to learning resources at home, university, libraries and at work.

With the increase in opportunities these technologies provide, it is important that all Tasmanians can benefit. Social programs for providing hardware, software and training are needed to ensure access for everyone.

Digital Education Revolution
The aim of the program is to contribute sustainable and meaningful change to teaching and learning in Australian schools that will prepare students for further education, training, jobs of the future and to live and work in a digital world. Further details can be found here.

Case Study: eLearning connecting schools
GLOW Scotland

Case Study: Bridging the digital divide
Dublin Digital Community