With a vibrant population of over 10 million, Seoul ranks as a top global destination on many travel lists. We invite you to an immersive book that offers a unique exploration of Seoul through the lens of a smart city. Join authors, Kristi Shalla and Sungjin Park, as they discuss their book, Seoul: Tale of a Smart City, and explore Seoul’s transformation from a bustling, chaotic metropolis to a global model for sustainable urban development. From the revitalization of the Cheonggye Stream to the renewal and beautification of Seoul’s urban landscape, these ingenious initiatives shaped Seoul into a model smart city of advancement and innovation. Many areas in east and central Asia and Latin America have taken inspiration from Seoul’s smart city projects, widening the potential implications for international cities like NYC. Don’t miss the chance to learn how Seoul’s leading practices set the standard for smart city innovations worldwide!
Seoul: Tale of A Smart City
Lessons from South Korea on How to Build Smarter Cities
with
KRISTI SHALLA & SUNG JIN PARK
Wednesday, December 4, 2024 | 6 PM (EST)
The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Kristi Shalla is an expert in global economic development and building innovative ecosystems and currently holds the position of Innovation Commissioner at the Embassy of Switzerland in Washington DC. She is an urban mobility enthusiast with 15 years of development experience in the US, Asia and Europe. Before relocating to Washington DC in the fall of 2020, Kristi was Head of Project Development at the Center for Innovation in Transport (CENIT) in Barcelona, Spain where she built public and private partnerships in transport and smart city research for projects around the globe. Kristi is an experienced speaker, lecturer and contributor on the topic of urban mobility, smart city development and international expansion. She is the co-author of the book Seoul: Tale of a Smart City, which was launched in the spring of 2024.
Sungjin Park
With over a decade of expertise in the smart city sector and a Ph.D. in Urban Planning, she currently leads two of Korea's premier smart city initiatives—the Sejong and Busan National Pilot City Projects—at LG Uplus. Since 2023, she has also served as Vice-Chair of the Future City Infrastructure Research Committee at the Korea Association of Urban Design. Previously, she spent 8 years as an IT consultant at Samsung SDS, driving large-scale smart city projects across Korea, the Middle East, and Asia. Additionally, she served as a senior urban planner at the Incheon Development Institute (now the Incheon Institute), focusing on strategic urban development and policy planning for Incheon.
ABOUT THE MODERATOR:
Anne-Sophie Mahle is NYCEDC's Director of International Partnerships and works closely with international trade offices, Consulates, and foreign businesses to help them expand their NYC footprint and implement public private partnerships in tech, the green economy, and life sciences. Prior to her work at EDC, Anne-Sophie worked at the Swiss and German Consulates in NYC, supporting businesses from both countries to expand to NYC. She holds an M.A. in International Affairs from Georgetown University with a certificate in International Business Diplomacy.
