Smart Cities Are More Human Cities, Finds Wunderman Thompson LATAM

Wunderman Thompson LATAM has released a new report, Smart Cities, exploring how the Covid-19 pandemic has changed city paradigms, redefining public policies for the next decade. As a result, the most inspiring brands in the region create and capture value from experiences. 

Smart Cities looks into the technology penetration in Latin America, the reconfiguration of urban spaces that allow productive social and business activities to continue, the role brands and services play in this new scenario, and the three axis through which businesses can think about post-pandemic smart cities to inspire smarter lives. 

Ernest Riba, chief strategy officer of Wunderman Thompson LATAM explained: “Following cities’ transformations closely is an excellent proxy to read societal changes. Phenomena such as shrinking households, accelerated suburbanization, urban cycling, new work formats and the impacts of new technology such as 5G propelled new ways of habitability that change business values and behaviors, use and consumption. With COVID-19, the city paradigms that will define public policies over the next decade have evolved. Examples such as the “15-minute city”, the return to the countryside through “Zoom Towns” or pedestrians’ reconquest through “superblocks” are building up both expectations and uncertainties throughout Latin America. Today, the region’s most inspiring brands create and capture value through experience. Analyzing them in the framework of cities helps us rediscover their service potential and bridge the gap between creativity and infrastructure," Riba continued. 

Glenda Kok, chief technology officer at Wunderman Thompson LATAM added: “The concept of a smart city becomes a smart life focused on the changes people have lived during lockdowns and in the adaptation of their daily lifestyles. The revaluation of our own space, proximity economy, essential or necessary mobility and the attachment to a healthier life that appreciates nature have all changed life paradigms in the blink of an eye.” 

You can download the full report here.