I hope that I will have the pleasure to welcome one year from now to the 8th Smart Data Smart Cities conference that will be held in Athens Greece, and will be hosted at the University of Western Attica, a University that is constantly rising in the international rankings.

The emblem of our university is the ancient Athenian philosopher Plato, a student of Socrates, a teacher of Aristotle, and the founder of the Academy of the same name. In fact, the archaeological site of Plato’s Academy, also considered the first known ancient university to focus on philosophy, mathematics, science, and politics, is within walking distance of our campuses.

We are delighted to host this International Conference supported by our Department, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering, which incorporates a range of scientific fields within its curriculum, including measurement and collection, processing, visualization, management, analysis, and dissemination of geometric, as well as quantitative and qualitative information about the natural and man-made environment, with research procedures and methods, which are part of an innovative technological framework that considers the geographical space and the natural and man-made environment as a result of constant and perpetual interaction of nature and man.

We are ready to provide a forum for the esteemed guests to discuss new approaches and methodologies, examine new technologies applied in smart cities, and share practical experiences in smart data and smart cities.

Combining its contribution to the development of Western scientific thought since ancient times with the famous Greek hospitality, Athens aspires to be added to the list of cities that have already successfully organized this renowned conference.

Dear future participants, at the 8th Smart Data Smart Cities Conference, hoping to see you all in Athens in June 2024, I wish you a big welcome to a pleasant and multicultural temple of science, art, and technology.

We are at your disposal for a successful conference!

Location

Dr. Robert Laurini, Professor Emeritus in Information Technologies
Born in 1947, Robert Laurini (aka Roberto) holds two doctorates, one in 1973, and the other in 1980, both in information technologies awarded by the Claude Bernard University of Lyon, France. He speaks fluently French, English, Italian and Spanish.
Throughout his career, he primarily worked at INSA-Lyon (University of Lyon), eventually achieving the status of a distinguished professor. However, in 1976-77, he spent an entire year as a research associate at the Martin Centre of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Similarly, in 1986-87, he served as a visiting professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, USA. Between 1995 and 2005, he held a part-time position at IUAV University in Venice, Italy. Since 2011, he has been retired and holds the title of professor emeritus at the Knowledge Systems Institute in Illinois, USA.
During his carrier, he worked overall on computing aspects of geographic information systems, namely spatial data indexing, geometric quality control, geographic database consistency, updating through aerial photos, visual summaries, chorem generation, geographic ontologies, sensor data organization and indexing, etc. His last works have been on geographic knowledge especially targeted to smart cities and territorial intelligence. In total, he supervised or co-supervised 44 PhD students in those domains.
He wrote several books regarding geographic information systems, especially for urban and environmental planning and the last one is “Geographic Knowledge Infrastructure: Applications to Territorial Intelligence and Smart Cities” in 2017. He authored or co-authored more than 250 papers in various journals and conferences.
He was invited to give seminars in many countries, especially in Italy, Morocco, Algeria, Argentina, and Mexico. He was member of PhD committees more than 100 times in 19 countries.
He was president of the ACMGIS steering committee, vice-president of UDMS, European editor of Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, and associate editor of the Journal of Visual Languages and Computing.
In 2009, he founded the NGO “Universitaires Sans Frontières/Academics Without Borders” the scope of which is to help modernize universities in developing countries. In this NGO, he is now in charge of several universities in Latin America, especially for the training of PhD students and young researchers for scientific writing, and for lab heads in the definition and validation of promising novel research lines.
For more details see www.laurini.net/robert

Keynote | ICT-supported Smart City, quo vadis?

In today's landscape, the concept of Smart Cities has become mainstream, with numerous urban centers proudly adopting the label. But what exactly does it entail? In this thought-provoking keynote address, I delve into the multifaceted dimensions of Smart Cities, exploring not only various definitions but also the diverse challenges spanning housing, mobility, education, feeding, commerce, health, industry, security, and public participation. At the heart of this transformation lies the goal of enhancing the quality of life for all citizens. And how do we achieve this? through the seamless integration of information and communication technologies (ICT). From sensor-based Internet of Things (IoT) solutions to cloud management and knowledge extraction and reasoning, these technologies underpin the Smart City vision. Indeed, artificial intelligence emerges as a pivotal player in this approach. Many believe it holds the key to realizing our ultimate aspirations. During this address, I will survey AI potentialities, including knowledge management, case-based reasoning, and deep learning. However, I must also acknowledge the caveats and uncertainties that lie ahead, as the promises and pitfalls of Smart Cities are explored, envisioning a future where technology harmonizes with human well-being and sustainable urban living. The talk will be concluded by the importance of territorial intelligence, combining artificial intelligence and human collective intelligence for more sustainable cities.

Stéphane Roche, Professor of Geomatics Science
Director of the Institute for Environment, Development and Society (Institute EDS)
Laval University, Quebec, Canada
Biography: Engineer and geographer by training, Stéphane Roche is a full professor in the Department of Geomatic Sciences of the Faculty of Forestry, Geography (FFGG) and Geomatics at Laval University (Quebec, Canada). He was previously the director of the Department of Geomatic Sciences from 2007 to 2011; vice-dean for research and studies of the FFGG from 2014 to 2018; director of research and academic affairs (vice-rector) at the National Institute of Scientific Research - INRS from 2018 to 2020. During the 2022-2023 academic year, he was a guest professor and head of the center for studies and research on urban environments at the French University of Ontario (UOF) in Toronto. He is currently the director of the Institute of Environment, Development and Society (EDS) at Laval University.
As a professor, Prof. Roche explores the complexity of the spatial organization modes of human societies and the issues raised by the digital transition in Anthropocene urban ecosystems. He is interested in skills and spatial reasoning as the main source of a new form of urban intelligence for climate action and sustainable health. He is the author of five books, 30 book chapters, nearly 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications, and has given 300 conferences, more than half of which are by invitation. He is currently leading Urbi-GES, a $3.7millions CD$ research project that aims at designing and developing an urban intelligence platform for monitoring community GHG emissions in Canadian cities.

Keynote | From Smart City to Healthy City

Since the first Smart City initiatives, mainly pushed by the largest information technology companies, techno-solutionist approaches have largely demonstrated their ineffectiveness in responding to the challenges faced by contemporary urban environments. One response to these limitations is the concept of a healthy city, a quite new approach promoted by the World Health Organization. A healthy city is a progressive, inclusive, connected city where people live in accessible, complete neighbourhoods, can move about freely, connect with nature and feel a sense of belonging. This conference proposes to analyze, based on some current research projects, the role that geospatial intelligence can play in the deployment of Healthy Cities.

Alenka Poplin, Associate Professor of Geoinformation Science at Iowa State University
Biography: Alenka Poplin is an Associate Professor of Geoinformation Science at Iowa State University and a founder and director of the GeoGames Lab and Community Engagement Living Lab (https://www.communityengagementll.net/). Her research interests intersect geogames for community engagement, game-based modeling and design, geogames and artificial intelligence, and mapping emotions and places. Her main application areas include smart cities, public participation in urban planning, and online games. She holds a PhD in Geoinformation Science from Vienna University of Technology, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Clemson University, SC, and a Master in Surveying and Spatial Planning from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Alenka widely publishes on geogames and mapping emotions and places. She is one of the co-editors of the book The Virtual and The Real: Perspectives, Practices and Applications for The Built Environment, Routledge. Alenka also co-edited, in collaboration with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dabid Schwartz (Rochester Institute of Technology), the first open-access journal Gaming and Geospatial Information (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijgi/special_issues/Gaming_Geospatial_Information). Currently she serves as an editor of the Special Issue of Sustainability Journal titled Co-creating the Future of Cities with Games: New Technologies and Methods for Sustainable and Smart City Planning.

Keynote | Cities for All: Geogames, Artificial Intelligence, Disabled-Accessibility and Evocative Places

This talk explores the notion of “cities for all”. What does it mean to create inviting and happy cities that take everyone’s needs into consideration? How can novel technologies and concepts help create cities for all and in particular for those that are disadvantaged and marginalized? Geogames can be introduced in community engagement processes specifically developed for the targeted audience and enhanced with artificial intelligence capabilities. Novel applications and technological advancements can better support people with disabilities, enabling them better access to the services. Places that evoke positive emotions, images and memories can be designed and implemented. This talk inspires discussions about emotions, places and technological advancements created to improve the quality of life for all citizens.

Workshop | Game Design: Creating Serious Games for Sustainable Futures