TedXCanberra: Improving communities in a digital age
“The Citizen is the Mayor. The citizen is the Premier. The Citizen is the Prime Minister. The citizen is the Governor. The citizen is the President. The Citizen is Sovereign.” – Brook Dixon
What does all of Brook’s quotes mean? Find out here when Brook takes 5 minutes from his busy schedule as Managing Director of Delos Delta to share with us what Momentum means to him, what digital growth engines are in place for the future and what is really important for local communities here in the ACT.
Tell us a bit about your work
As Managing Director of Delos Delta, I work with clients to drive smart city outcomes, digital transformation, and organisational improvement. What does this mean? Basically, we apply smart policy, smart governance, smart ideas, smart design, and smart technology, to make cities and communities even better – more livable, productive, creative and sustainable. A few specific project examples: big free public wifi networks, smart parking (using sensors and real time information to help find a car park), smart street lights driving massive reductions (up to 80%) in energy use, and modernisation of laws to allow new digital services models (such as ride sharing, e.g. Uber and Lyft, and car-sharing).
Why do you love what you do?
I love to support change and innovation that benefits local communities. At Delos Delta we are especially motivated to unlock community creativity, and empower people to imagine and build their future city.
What’s something you are working on right now that you can share with us?
I’m working with colleagues in Barcelona to develop an online project/investment prioritisation platform. Governments and organisations spend billions of dollars every year on thousands of projects for the community.
Investments can be directed by politics and instinct, rather than community benefit, and decisions made behind closed doors. We think the community deserves better, and in the digital age, we can easily do better!
What does MOMENTUM, our TEDxCanberra2017 theme, mean to you?
Momentum. Great word. Right now, for me, momentum means catching waves. And not swimming against tides, or looking to the horizon seeking the perfect wave. Digital technology is creating so much momentum. As I see it, we can ride the wave, turning momentum into something exhilarating and beautiful, or we can let it crash on our heads. Like all technology, digital can bring great good, or great bad. We can be positive and proactive and create a modern, inclusive digital democracy. Or we can sit back, and let it happen to us, and be left with Twitter kakocracy (i.e. power of the worst). The choice is ours.
What can our TEDxCanberra audience expect to hear from you?
I’ll be asking the audience to imagine our democracy as a living, breathing thing. Not something that sits on the shelf, to take for granted, to see as timeless and static. It must change, it must evolve – just as science, culture and society changes and evolves.
We must ask more of our democracy. And democracy must ask more of us. Digital technology gives us great power and momentum to effect this evolution. Are we up to the challenge?
What are you most looking forward to sharing at the event?
Passion and possibility.
What do you like most about Canberra?
Our community leadership on matters of human rights, equality, inclusion and equity.
Fun Fact! What’s one thing you can share that people don’t know about you?
I played over 250 games of Australia Football for the ANU Griffins and the Parkes Panthers. Best days, but my hamstrings aren’t thankful! And I studied Ancient Greek at the ANU Classics Department. I was super lucky to study with Emeritus Professor Elizabeth Minchin and Dr Peter Londey – amazing teachers and scholars!
Don’t miss out! Get your tickets to TEDxCanberra’s Momentum here, before they sell out!
Article by Emily-Rose Clark from http://tedxcanberra.org/discover/