South Africa’s poorest are using a smart city approach to build their own so-called “Empower Shacks” on squatted land. Alfredo Brillembourg, co-founder of Urban-Think Tank, says the initiative with ETH Zurich means locals use data and modeling to create tailor-made social housing.WATCH MORE
India has no love for China’s Belt and Road Initiative
While many countries—including Switzerland—continue to show support for China’s Belt and Road Initiative, others remain skeptical. “India has a clear view that that’s not a good idea,” says Hero Enterprise Chairman Sunil Munjal, who explains that his country feels the initiative will benefit China alone.
Hero Enterprise’s Munjal: Tiger Woods “was worth taking the gamble on”
Sunil Kant Munjal, chairman of Hero Enterprise, acknowledges that bringing on Tiger Woods as brand ambassador when he was at a career low point in 2014 meant taking a huge risk but says it “was worth taking the gamble on”. Munjal weighs the financial impact of brand ambassadors and also discusses why he stepped down as managing director of Hero MotoCorp, one of the world’s largest motorcycle companies, in 2016.
How this urban visionary has been frustrated by a lack of funding
Alfredo Brillembourg, the co-founder of Urban-Think Tank, is on a mission to build more equitable cities so people from all income levels can flourish. But as the architect and academic looks back on his high-profile career in Switzerland and around the world, he says that a lack of funding is his biggest regret.
How the “Empower Shack” is helping South Africa’s poor
South Africa’s poorest are using a smart city approach to build their own so-called “Empower Shacks” on squatted land. Alfredo Brillembourg, co-founder of Urban-Think Tank, says the initiative with ETH Zurich means locals use data and modeling to create tailor-made social housing.
What should Switzerland’s smart cities of the future focus on?
Building smart cities shouldn’t just be about technology but also creating a diverse society where young people and immigrants can afford to live and work. That’s the view of Alfredo Brillembourg, the chair of architecture and urban design at ETH Zurich, who thinks diversity is key to a smarter future.
A utopia for all? Or just the rich? Smart cities debated on Digital Day
Smart cities should be about doing good, not just about making the lives of the world’s richest easier. Alfredo Brillembourg, chair of architecture and urban design at ETH Zurich, warns there’s a danger that only developed nations can afford to live in connected spaces.
IKEA’s Scarpaleggia: “Growth is one thing and greed is another”
Simona Scarpaleggia boils down the 2008 financial crisis to two very distinct issues: too much of a reliance on the financial economy as opposed to the real economy and decisions made out of greed. In part four of our interview, the IKEA Switzerland CEO also talks about making big decisions, hard lessons learned, and about what pushed her to write her new book, “The Other Half.”
IKEA Switzerland’s “Chief of Sleep”: gimmick or legitimate job?
IKEA Switzerland’s “Chief of Sleep” will travel to their stores around the world as an ambassador, looking to instill the importance of sleep to all employees. Outgoing CEO Simona Scarpaleggia says the new role is more than just a gimmick, though its creation has certainly garnered plenty of attention. In part three of our Newsmaker interview, she digs into the role’s significance and also imparts some wisdom for the incoming CEO.