About this event
Today, around 56% of the world’s population lives in cities, a trend that is set to continue: by 2050, with the current number of city dwellers doubling, almost seven out of every ten people in the world will live in urban areas.
This trend highlights the attractiveness of major urban centres, where a significant share of GDP and economic activity is concentrated. In this context, the Netherlands has long stood out for its expertise in managing to reconcile urban quality of life with the preservation of green spaces, despite a particularly high population density in the Randstad region (a conurbation comprising the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht).
This dynamic is prompting public and private players to rethink urbanisation, focusing on smart and sustainable approaches that meet citizens’ needs. The Netherlands, a true pioneer in this field, has convincingly adopted solutions applied to smart cities, turning certain urban areas into true large-scale laboratories. Digital technologies are seen as essential tools for solving urban, environmental and resource-management challenges, while guaranteeing a better quality of life in urban areas and optimising the use of natural resources.
With this in mind, hub.brussels is organising an economic and exploratory mission to Rotterdam and Amsterdam on 23 and 24 September. This mission will be an ideal opportunity to learn first-hand about the innovative Smart Cities policies in the Netherlands and to explore best practices for shaping the future of our cities.