Carlo Ratti: Innovation and Technology to Meet Urban Challenges

Jakarta, July 26, 2017 - Professor Carlo Ratti as an expert and lecturer for the Department of Urban Studies and Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) delivered his presentation on SENSEable City at the Jakarta Property Institute seminar and workshop, Wednesday, July 26, 2017.

SENSEable City is a study that examines the development of digital technology and its implications for urban life and how to utilize technology to realize a better city.

According to Ratti, current technological developments can be seen in the changing patterns of several aspects of urban life; aspects of population mobility, office culture, the retail sector, and the urban experience.

In terms of mobility, digital technology can reduce the use of motorized vehicles as well as congestion by utilizing the right data and calculations. The results of a joint study between Ratti and Uber in New York, USA, proved that ride sharing in this application is very popular with New Yorkers. As a result, data analysis also showed a 40% cut in cumulative travel time without the need for additional infrastructure.

Digital technology is also changing office culture. "With current developments, the office is no longer a place to work, but rather a place to interact, because work can be done from anywhere," says Ratti. Likewise with retail, many supermarkets in the United States are starting to close due to the trend of online shopping. In the future, the retail industry can be more developed by combining technology and physical interaction in supermarkets, so that shopping centers become a place for citizens to socialize again.

The implications for urban experience are also significant. Technology can be used to research this, but no matter how well technology predicts human habits, it can still surprise us with unexpected realities. Carlo Ratti emphasized businesses and city stakeholders to shift paradigms and innovate by leveraging technology.

Deputy Governor-elect 2017 Sandiaga Uno also added the importance of the role of digital data in making policies. He said that for 18 months before the campaign, he and his team struggled with data about Jakarta residents. From there, it is known that there are 3 major problems that are of major concern in Jakarta; employment, education, and cost of living.

For the cost of living, one of the concerns is the cost of transportation in Jakarta, which is still considered high. Therefore, he hopes that the private sector can work with the government to find solutions to these problems.

He also admitted that he was surprised by the results of the Stanford study which stated that Indonesians walked less, and one of the causes was due to the lack of proper and available pedestrian paths, including in Jakarta. "We hope JPI can work together to make the city more SENSEable and walkable, so we look forward to working with you," Sandi said.