Barcelona hosts the first Workshop City Protocol

The Workshop City Protocol to promote a certification system for measuring the degree of efficiency and quality in cities was held on 16 and 17 July. The event brought together around 200 spokespersons and included the attendance of two Metropolis representatives who played an active role in the discussions to establish a new framework for city improvement and transformation.

Barcelona City Council is acting as the project sponsor, with the involvement of CISCO and GDF Suez and the collaboration of over 90 cities, organizations, universities, and businesses.

The purpose of the event was to define in a collaborative and community-based fashion a protocol to determine quality standards for 21st century cities. The meeting drew 200 participants from 33 cities and close to 60 businesses, international organizations, and universities.

The goal of the Workshop City Protocol is to create a community from which a framework of governance can emerge that enables content on the challenges cities are faced with today for improving urban innovation to be generated in a collaborative fashion.

At the meeting in Barcelona participants agreed to develop and perfect a preliminary version of the City Protocol, which shall be presented at the Smart City Expo to also be held in Barcelona, from 13 to 15 November 2012. The basis and commitment for the creation of the City Protocol Society were further aspects also established at the event.