Vaughan remains a Smart City leader: Mayor Bevilacqua
Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua issued the following statement after chairing the City’s first Smart City Task Force meeting of 2020:
“Smart City initiatives are creating enhanced opportunities by improving the way data is collected, understood and utilized to safeguard and elevate the quality of life for citizens, as well as enhance the delivery of public services people and businesses rely on each day.
“Vaughan remains a Smart City leader. In 2018, Council established the Mayor’s Smart City Advisory Task Force to advance a culture of knowledge and pursue continuous improvement. The mandate of this task force is to continue to provide advice to Council and City administration.
“In March of 2019, the City of Vaughan was formally invited to take part in the 2019 Smart City Summit and Expo in Taipei, Taiwan. Each year, this international conference brings together thought leaders from local governments, along with recognized professionals from public-and private-sector organizations. Vaughan’s participation in the global conference presented opportunities to share existing best practices, learn about emerging and innovative trends in city-building and actively engage economic development leads.
“Vaughan is the first Canadian municipality to join US Ignite – a non-profit organization that promotes international leadership to develop new applications and to foster an environment for local governments and technology partners to work together to improve the lives of citizens through cutting-edge solutions. This partnership, which officially began in March 2019, will continue to help Vaughan press ahead with our focused efforts to embrace the transformational benefits of Smart City technology and initiatives.
“The City began its digital transformation through the development and implementation of our Digital Strategy, #VaughanDigital. The plan defines how the City will interact with citizens digitally, including engagement, access to data and content, public connectivity, digital literacy, eServices and mobile apps, with a focus on Vaughan’s internal digital transformation and technology playing a vital role in our evolution.
“Vaughan’s first hospital – the new Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital – will be Canada’s first smart hospital and will feature fully integrated smart technology systems and medical devices. Furthermore, the lands surrounding the hospital are being primed to serve as a breeding ground for education and innovation - called the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct.
“It is a first-of-its-kind initiative that will bring medical services, modernization and jobs to our growing community. Last October, we signed a memorandum of understanding with Mackenzie Health, York University and ventureLAB to identify transformational opportunities to maximize the best use of lands surrounding the hospital through a feasibility study. The high-tech institution will support other uses, including medical offices, labs and research spaces, incubators, and education and conference rooms. It will be a place for thought leaders and subject matter experts to come together to advance a shared vision of healthcare innovation.
“The City’s 2019 Israel trade mission was an opportunity to meet with government and business leaders, study innovative best practices in important industries, including health technology, and advance Vaughan’s promising city-building agenda. A meeting took place with Dr. Rafael Beyar, an experienced, accomplished and trusted leader with the world-class Rambam Medical Center – one of the largest medical centres in Israel, located in the city of Haifa. Dr. Beyar discussed his country’s extensive efforts to bring together startups and academic institutions to create medical breakthroughs and enhance front-line health services. During the mission, our delegation saw first-hand the cutting-edge technologies that are improving patient care and took note of how we could take this information and apply it to our growing city.
“As we look toward the future, we will remain unwavering in our efforts to build a safe, welcoming and engaged city where all people are given every opportunity possible to live happy, healthy and fulfilling lives. From improving infrastructure and roads to recreation and healthcare, taking a Smart City approach to our work is fundamental to delivering efficient, reliable and innovative city-building. I look forward to pursuing the important work of the Smart City Task Force in the weeks and months to come.”
-30-