Tom Vander Ark is the author of Smart Cities and the founder of Gettingsmart.com Here is a short interview I did with him on the idea behind the book Smart Cities, and how cities without lots of universities and money in their backyards can still become "smart." About the book: "As the majority of the world’s population becomes urban, cities must become centers of learning for young and old. Every person, organization and region needs to get smart – to skill up, learn more and build new capacities faster and cheaper than ever. In the long run, education is the economic development agenda. Innovative new tools and schools are making it possible for individuals, organizations, and cities to boost learning outcomes. Most begin with leadership and an innovation mindset. This combination of persistence, entrepreneurship and a collaborative focus on impact can be taught in every classroom and encouraged in every city. This book was created from a two year investigation project launched to discover the civic formula required to dramatically boost learning outcomes and employability." (The last few seconds of the interview dropped. My apologies. They were how to get your copy of the book.) Here is how to get your copy: Smart Cities http://gettingsmart.com/publication/smartcities/ Well worth the read. Get a copy for your local politicians while you are at it, and send a copy to each member of your school board. Tom Vander Ark is CEO of Getting Smart, an education advocacy firm, partner in Learn Capital, an education venture fund and author of Getting Smart: How Digital Learning is Changing the World. Previously, Tom was a philanthropy executive, public school superintendent and has vast private sector experience.
