Learning City

Learning city means lifelong learning opportunities for everyone either with formal or informal education. Similarly, either learning on applied science or skill learning. With the World getting more complex and demand from the people and community is escalating, the demand for knowledge is also higher especially in the field that might have not been covered under the existing formal education system. Some underprivileged people might also found that attending to formal education is too costly and beyond their affordability. Some might find that certain compulsory subjects are of their disliking. Some might think that they need extra curriculum fulfilling their own need pursuing knowledge. Thereby, a thriving city must be able to provide and cater for multiple learning needs of the people from diverse background. Learning through social media and internet have provided new paradigm to the meaning of learning. Learning can be done with a group of people sharing the same interest and hobby. Learning can be done on real time and with people from different physical community, but rather the cyber world. Learning can be fast with the availability of information over the web. Learning can be multi-discipline and do not necessary follow the sequence. Learning can be fun without the guidance of teachers. Learning can be experiential. For a learning city, the above are required pre-requisite. To make this happen I believe, good and affordable infrastructure especially the ICT, provision of a conducive environment and community for learning must be provided by the city government.

Thriving Neighbourhood

Thriving neighbourhood is visible and can be felt. You can describe a thriving neighbour the moment you step into it space, talking to the people, walking onto the streets, observing many on going and vibrant activities. This scenario cannot be faked and the negative feeling cannot be hide. Thriving neighbour can be built over the years with efforts from all walk of life. The Authority cannot keep telling the people and stakeholders what they intend to do, but to talk to the stakeholders what both can do together. Likewise the stakeholders cannot keep pointing finger on the atuhority for non-perfoming. It must be a mutual understanding and consensus of doing something together. This, of course require share value, vision and actions. Thriving neighbourhood must be a place for everyone, those who want to sleep there, those who want to study, those who want to work and those who want to spend leisure and free time there. Everyone will get to fulfill their need without jeopardising the need of others. All needs can be met and happened in harmony. Everyone will share the vision, value and actions of what they envision their neighbourhood to be in future. As the city is the sum of neighbourhoods, the moment the neighbourhoods doing well and thriving, there is no reason for a city of not performing well. Thereby, making a city thriving, we have no choice but to make sure that neighbourhood, as the basic unit in city ro start and do well.

Convergence

Convergence means collaboration between different force from multi-discipline and diverse background. It is also refered to rethinking different ideas and making it a shared one by different contributors of ideas. Some also said convergence is a combination of many multi-facet, ideas or even thoughts for the benefit of bringing greater impact. Convergence is the new paradigm of city, and for the changes and betterment of environment and community. People who are once the receipent of information from the media, now has also become the producer or provider of information. They can choose and pick information relevent to them for consumption. They can even broadcast the news for wider audience. This emerging trend is so powerful that nothing, wrong doing or good things can be hidden from the general public. This, bring in new level of accountability and transparency. For knowledge sharing as well, people can access to information within split second and without much hassle. Thereby, the information providers must ensure that information as published is accurate and update. The urbanisation process is so complex nowasday and it need city management of multi approaches and solution. No single profession can solve the city problem by themselves, but wider collaboration and engagement are required. Convergence, in this sense is critical. We need personal who are good in converge different ideas, meeting different people and able to solicit different ideas and finally to melt and incorporate the ideas into a workable solution, that is understood by all. Perhaps, we need a new profession, the convergent.

Melbourne - A Liveable City

Melbourne Knowledge Week held throughout the week in different venue saw the presentation of more than 60 events. The Week saw the presentation of various knowledge gained from initiatives by the Council, Government Agencies, Universities, Private Sector, NGOs and more importantly the community and people. It is fascinating to witness many innovations and creativity on displayed and shared out with others. Melbourne voted as the most liveable city in the World for many years has certainly have many to share. Its planning, management, innovation, administration, social development, environmental and heritage conservation, transportation, education and learning. Walking on the streets is such a wonderful experience that you feel the most welcome and peaceful. Enjoying what on the Collins and Swanston Street are fantastic and bring back good memory. Observing the way construction work is carried out, so neat and tidy will make you refresh on why such a work ethic cannot be achieved back home. It is such a surprise to see a hawker conducting in a pretty small stall, but well managed and clean compared to the escalating high demand for bigger space from our own hawkers. These are perhaps the things we should learn and listen from the mouth of the Melbourne City Council. I am eargerly excited to wait for 31st October 2013 when we have the opportunity to meet them up.

Innovation

Henry Ford once said "If I asked my customers what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse." Customers feedbacks are important to evaluate on the performance of your organisation, products or services, but it does not neccessary tell you beyond what they engaged for. If Mr Henry Ford did not think beyond the faster horse, then invention of a motorised vehicle might not become a reality. The history of automobile industry might be deferred to many years later or not at all. This sum up the important of pioneering and innovation. Innovation will come from a great thinker, who dare to think differently and to look at thing from "adnormal" angkle. However, thinking without going into front end innovation process will not make the innovation into a reality. Firstly, the idea must be framed, followed by organising the resources, collecting customer data, understanding the requirements and then selecting a solution. It takes time, persistent and passion. A leader must have the quality of innovation. As Steve Jobs said innovation distinguishes the leader from followers. The leader must be able to illustrate some visionary scene to the followers, and to ensure that the followers are convinced with the illustrations. However, it is easy said than done, and that explained why we have many followers and always have a leader only.