"Thank you" to everyone who participated in the Smart+Connected  Communities Institute Member Engagement Survey.  We received some great  feedback about the content you find valuable and what additional  resources we can provide.

Highlights

• Organization of Content
• Types of Content: More case studies, city examples and white papers focused on economic, environmental and social sustainability, information and communication technology
  
• Majority of members visit the site often in a 3 month period
• This audience sees the most value with this online community in learning and getting materials/information

We Are Listening

• Content: We constructed a new section of the site called Resources. Check out the new Resource section that includes collections of white papers, case studies, presentations, videos and more. This will be a one-stop shop for you to access the content in the format of your choice.
• City Examples: We are in the process of putting together a city/ICT E-Book with many global examples of how cities are using technology to be more sustainable. Look for this release next month!  We will also host upcoming webinars with city examples.
• Live Case Studies: In addition to city examples, we plan to launch city live case studies on the site so people can see the partner network and the implementation in process.
• Participation: Please send me your case studies, white papers, presentations to add to the Resource section. Also, I am looking for bloggers. We have added some great new bloggers to the site and we would like the idea sharing and innovation to continue. Contact me to blog!

Congratulations to the three community member prize winners.  I will contact you via private message to capture your contact information where I can send your gift card.

As always, even though the survey is closed now, please send your suggestions to me.

"Beyond Smart Cities: How Cities Network, Learn, Innovate" - Tim Campbell, Urban Age Institute 

In addition to the webinar Learning Series, we will also be interviewing global thought leaders to share their current projects, innovative ideas, research and more.  I interviewed three urban sustainability experts and to share with you their work and ideas.

Urban Age Institute Chairman Tim Campbell is researching how cities learn. This is particularly interesting information for this online community as we facilitate learnings and best practices from city to city.  His research also touches on the challenges of governments that can be in silos, which is often discussed in the Smart+Connected Communities Institute.

Once I caught up with Tim Campbell, who was sailing from Ibiza to Gibraltar along the Spanish coast and then spending a couple of weeks in Egypt, he told me about his research for his new book "Beyond Smart Cities: How Cities Network, Learn, Innovate." Campbell conducts his research by surveys and face-to-face interviews, and the findings will be included in his book. The cities are not the largest or the smallest in terms of population, rather his subjects are average-sized cities- 1 to 5 million in population. He has interviewed up to 25 key players in each city during the face-to-face research.

"Cities are learning from each other," he said. "In this process, they are reaching out to other cities on many questions, such as how did they get ICT, talent and a lot more."

Campbell sees cities becoming autonomous and developing their own self-sustaining personalities as they start to influence national decisions.

"Cities are taking on new responsibilities," Campbell said. "They are defining their role in international trade."

Campbell continued that Europe is a good example where this influence is already happening with the EU policy and movement.  The European city regions have stronger presence and recognition with knowledge, economies, regional cities linking together, including academic institutions and city hall.

According to Campbell, cities learn in many ways, but face to face contacts that build trust is very important.  To start, the cities explore their own changemakers, gradually forming a cloud of trust, and this facilitates collaboration with various civil, public and private groups.  The "cloud of trust" became a beacon in Campbell's research. He discovered that trust is crucial with city leaders  and management.

To hear more about Tim Campbell's research, the Smart+Connected Communities Institute will host Campbell at a live webinar at noon EST February 22 via WebEx Event.

WEBINAR INFORMATION

Topic: Smart+Connected Community Institute- Beyond Smart Cities: How cities network, learn and innovate

Date and Time:
February 22, 2011 12:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (New York, GMT-05:00)
February 22, 2011 9:00 am, Pacific Standard Time (San Francisco, GMT-08:00)
February 22, 2011 6:00 pm, Europe Time (Paris, GMT+01:00)
February 22, 2011 5:00 pm, Western European Time (London, GMT)

DIRECTIONS TO LOGIN INTO WEBEX EVENT

1. Click Link Below to Access WebEx

Event address for attendees: https://ciscosales.webex.com/ciscosales/onstage/g.php?d=208859838&t=a

Event number: 208 859 838
Event password: smart

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DIRECTIONS TO JOIN AUDIO
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1. Follow the prompts to enter the Meeting Number (listed above) or Access Code followed by the # sign.

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