Moving Vaughan’s Smart City initiatives forward

July 27, 2022 10:00 a.m.
City of Vaughan
​The City’s Smart City Task Force pursues continuous improvement across Vaughan


Involving citizens in matters that impact them remains a top priority for the City of Vaughan. That’s where the 2018-2022 Term of Council task forces come into play, addressing a range of policy areas that are important to the community. At the inaugural meeting for this term, Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua announced the creation of new task forces related to economic development, transportation, older adult issues, diversity and governance.

As these task forces wrap up this year, the City will be sharing highlights from each of them once their findings reports are ratified by Vaughan Council. Most recently, the Smart City Task Force report was brought forward.

This task force was approved by Council in May 2020, and Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua and Ward 4 Councillor Sandra Yeung Racco were appointed as Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively.

The task force had an overall mandate to make recommendations to ensure the city was advancing a culture of knowledge and continuous improvement. This included providing advice to Council and City administration, including high-level political and community perspectives in the development of Smart City initiatives and endorsing Smart City technologies.

Following careful research, consideration and dedication to this mandate, the appointed members developed the Smart City Task Force Report, which was presented to Council on June 28, 2022. It outlines the following recommendations:

  • That Council endorses the launch of the Smart City business unit in 2023 and incorporates Smart City development as part of the Economic Development department’s business plan, with the mission to make Vaughan a leading, exciting and resilient Smart City.    
  • That Council endorses a Smart City program based on the following guiding principles that will lead the City’s Smart City plans, projects and actions:
    • People-first
    • Equitable, inclusive and accessible
    • Accountable and transparent
    • Security and privacy-focused
    • Collaborative
    • Reliable
    • Connected
    • Future-ready
  • That Council endorses a Smart City program based on the following strategic objectives:
    • Develop infrastructure to enable Smart technology – Build and advance capacity for future technology and digital infrastructure foundations.
    • Build trust from residents, businesses and stakeholders – Communicate and involve Vaughan residents, businesses and stakeholders in Smart City initiatives.
    • Explore opportunities for collaboration to enhance the local ecosystem and generate economic opportunities – Embrace a culture of working with external stakeholders.
    • Implement a governance model to oversee the ethical and responsive use of technology for service delivery – Develop a policy to guide the use of Smart technologies to support Vaughan’s Smart City vision and safeguard residents’ data and privacy.
  •  That a Smart City advisory committee be established in the 2022 to 2026 Term of Council.

Read more in the Smart City Task Force Report.

QUOTES

“The Smart City Task Force Findings and Recommendations Report reflects our commitment to fostering a culture of knowledge and continuous improvement. In 2018, I championed the Smart City Task Force, with Council’s full support, to make a meaningful impact on every aspect of citizen life. Throughout this term, we have engaged in many meaningful discussions about improving economic competitiveness, advancing data initiatives, fostering innovation, and increasing engagement with stakeholders, community groups, and citizens in our city and beyond. This critical work will shape our five-year Smart City plan and future Smart City policy. As one of Canada's fastest-growing and most diverse municipalities, advancing Vaughan's Smart City initiatives is crucial to our ongoing success. I want to extend my warmest and sincerest gratitude to all Smart City Task Force members, including Vice-Chair Councillor Sandra Yeung Racco, staff, community partners and residents for their meaningful contributions to this important initiative.”

- Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, Chair, Smart City Task Force

“Vaughan is a Smart City leader that seeks new opportunities to incorporate innovative solutions into our ongoing city-building efforts. From improving infrastructure and roads to recreation and healthcare, investing in Smart City initiatives is a step toward delivering an efficient, reliable and safe municipality, which is at the core of our forward-looking and progressive approach to city-building. Taking a Smart City approach will create opportunities to encourage civic engagement, accelerate economic growth and generate greater productivity. As we look toward the future, we remain focused on our efforts to build a safe, welcoming and engaged city where all people have every opportunity possible to live happy, healthy and fulfilling lives.”

- Councillor Sandra Yeung Racco, Vice-Chair, Smart City Task Force

QUICK FACTS

  • On Dec. 4, 2018, at the inaugural meeting of this Term of Council, Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua announced the creation of new task forces to address a range of important policy areas, including transportation, economic development, older adult issues, diversity and governance.
  • Fourteen members – both residents and stakeholders – were recruited for the Smart City Task Force.
  • This task force was approved by Council in May 2020, and Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua and Ward 4 Councillor Sandra Yeung Racco were appointed as Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively.
  • The task force met quarterly as needed, from June 2020 to April 2022.
  • The task force had an overall mandate to make recommendations to ensure the city was advancing a culture of knowledge and continuous improvement.
  • Following careful research, consideration and dedication to this mandate, the appointed members developed the Smart City Task Force Report, which was presented to Council on June 28, 2022.
  • The task forces for this Term of Council are as follows: Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, Economic Prosperity Task Force, Effective Governance and Oversight Task Force, Older Adult Task Force, Smart City Task Force and Transportation and Infrastructure Task Force. 

LEARN MORE

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