Casablanca Smart City Forum: A Decade of Urban Transformation
The tenth edition of the Casablanca Smart City Forum commenced on Wednesday in Morocco's economic capital, aiming to renew its commitment to transforming the city into a leading example of smart, sustainable, and human-centered urban planning in Africa. This year’s event, themed "Augmented Smart City: 10 Years of Innovation in Culture, Sports, and Economy," has established itself as a vital platform for decision-makers, experts, and startups, both national and international, to explore the transformative opportunities available to urban environments and to address the challenges that lie ahead.
During the opening session, Mohamed Jouahri, General Director of Casablanca Events and Animation, expressed pride in the fruitful decade that has passed. He highlighted how the vision of a Smart City has become integral to the design of various projects and infrastructures among local stakeholders, emphasizing the ambition to create a self-sufficient city driven by its residents. He also praised the transformation of the metropolis through advancements in technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence, which have facilitated continuous improvements in urban mobility—a previous weak point for the city—and enabled a more harmonious deployment of green spaces.
For Jouahri, this edition of the Forum signifies a shift from a technology-centric approach to a comprehensive vision where innovation permeates all sectors. He noted the importance of culture as a means of enhancing national heritage and energizing public spaces, sports as a strategic lever for urban development leading up to the 2030 World Cup, and an economy that creates value and opportunities.
Innovative Projects Powered by Augmented Reality
Looking ahead to the next decade, Casablanca aims to reach a new milestone by fostering dialogue between Artificial Intelligence and human intelligence, aspiring to build an augmented, innovative, inclusive, and resilient metropolis capable of anticipating future transformations and adapting to emerging challenges while placing citizens at the heart of its development model.
This ambitious vision will be realized through a series of innovative projects, including the Digital Twin, as explained by Aawatif Hayar, President of the Scientific Committee of Casablanca Smart City. This initiative involves creating a digital replica of Casablanca, integrating its territorial, human, and infrastructural dimensions. This technology will allow the simulation of various projects using augmented reality and Artificial Intelligence before their actual deployment. For example, in the context of urban planning, several optimization scenarios can be tested on this digital twin, taking into account the real attributes of the territory, existing infrastructures, and the needs of the residents.
This tool will offer the chance to assess the impact of different options, refine decisions, and even engage citizens in the consultation process prior to the effective implementation of projects. According to Aawatif Hayar, this approach aims to make the city more agile, participatory, and aligned with the expectations of its inhabitants.
To bring this vision to fruition, Morocco is supported by its academic institutions, notably Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) and Hassan II University of Casablanca. These institutions have pledged to mobilize their vibrant youth to develop innovative solutions that can enhance the lives of the local population.
Several countries with extensive experience in developing smart cities worldwide are backing the Casablanca project, including France, Singapore, and Kazakhstan. Representatives from these nations praised the progress that the metropolis has made in its urban and digital transformation, reaffirming their commitment to accompany the city in this dynamic. They also expressed their willingness to share their expertise, best practices, and innovative solutions implemented in their respective countries to contribute to the growth of a smarter, more sustainable, and inclusive city.
As reported by lopinion.ma.
