By Alexander Landa


We can't believe that the Building Tech Forum has passed already – but it was worth all the work that went into it. Nothing makes us happier than seeing a packed room of technology and green building enthusiasts smiling, sharing drinks, exchanging business cards, and having a good time. 

These major events are the cumulation of the efforts of our entire community. Our staff, generous sponsors, energetic members and volunteers, and everyone else who wants a net-positive future for ourselves and generations to come make our dreams a reality, and for that, we can't thank you enough. 

As guests came in early in the evening, they enjoyed snacks and drinks while catching up with old and new friends in the innovative Fraunhofer building. After our Executive Director Grey Lee gave the opening remarks to kick off why we need to start planning for smart cities, Christian Hoepfner and Kurt Roth of Fraunhofer touched on what they're doing to make it all happen.

Afterward, we all made our way to Fraunhofer's open event space on the 5th floor where the real action was happening. Jaime Paris Boisvert from Siemens talked about their innovative development strategies, with Ryan Blackmon & Matt Barry representing Union Point and discussing their actual smart city just 12 miles south of Boston.

Our panel showcased how diverse the community behind smart cities really is – it's not just a concept of tech professionals or architects, rather it connects developers, academics, researchers, urban planners, and more all together to make it happen. Shoutout to Jascha Franklin-Hodge of the City of Boston, Jennie Stephens of Northeastern University, Gretchen Sweeney of the USGBC, Ryan Blackmon of Union Point, and Brycen Spencer of Siemens for educating us on all the hard work you're doing and why we need to start pushing for more smart cities!

After the panel, everyone continued networking and meeting old and new friends alike, sharing drinks, and deciding how we can make realistic strides to develop smarter infrastructure – and not just share pipe dreams of them. Special thanks also to Anne Williams of Fraunhofer for allowing us to host the event here! 

Thank you to everyone who came, and we look forward to seeing you at future events! More event pictures can be seen on our Flickr page.

 

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