Ajuntament de Barcelona E-headquarters

Cities, companies and universities are preparing the first City Protocol document in Barcelona

posted 17/07/2012 at 15:55 h. - Redacció bcn.cat -

Nearly one hundred cities, companies, organisations and universities are currently in Barcelona working on the first guidelines for a document that is to become the first City Protocol within the next few months. Barcelona has become a promoter of the first world conference to create this system, which will measure the degree of efficiency and quality of 21st-century cities.

'City Protocol' video

Over thirty cities from around the world, twenty leading companies in networks, communications and energy, and nearly fifty organisations and universities have started work on what will become the first City Protocol in six months.

The draft document has come about from the first world conference on this subject, which was held in Barcelona. It will establish a worldwide certification system for measuring the degree of efficiency and quality of cities in the 21st century.

It will uses indicators to do that, such as information technologies and energy, water and transport management. These will help to establish a common framework for cooperation between public and private sector players.

From Barcelona to the rest of the world

Work drawing up this global governance framework has recently started in Barcelona but it will not be until November, at the Barcelona Smart City Expo congress, that a more definitive document will be presented.

As the General Manager of the Municipal Institute of Information Technology, Manel Sanromà, pointed out "if we do it properly, it's going to have historic repercussions".

And that will result from the international scope of the protocol, which seeksto provide a basis for sharing city problems and solutions, to make them smarter and more sustainable, efficient and innovative.

The protocol is being drafted on the basis of a public-private partnership to bring a more integrated approach to finding solutions, where each party contributes its experience for a common good:cities and their citizens.

The first products and services by 2013

Once this initial meeting has been held and the definitive City Protocol established in November, the participants will be expected to come up with the first products and services that can add social value to cities in 2013.