Taipei, Aug. 21 (CNA) Participants in a forum held in Taipei Saturday highlighted the importance of technological development for the competitiveness of a global city and previewed a future trend of the rise of mega cities.
The future of a modern city has a great deal to do with its technological readiness and how tech-savvy its residents are, according to experts in various fields, including a social media website founder, a political candidate in the year-end Taipei mayoral election and an Internet guru.
"Of all the cities I have visited, I have seen some that have prospered because of their advanced technological development and I have seen some that have faltered, " said Alvin Yoon, founder of Plurk -- one of the most popular social media websites in Taiwan -- at the forum organized by Business Next magazine.
Yoon, who travels constantly on business, said that Taipei's Easy Card is one of the best innovations for a resident in everyday life because it can be used not only on almost every public transport system but also in libraries and designated stores, an innovation that had left him with a good impression.
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) , Taiwan's Networked Readiness Index ranked No. 11 in the world and third among Asian countries in 2010.
The world is also embracing a trend toward the rise of mega cities, said Rebecca Chang, a former general manager of Google Taiwan. She added that the mayor of a mega city would be expected to have at least the same -- if not more -- impact than a head of state in the future.
The reason for this is simple, she said, because according to estimates, more than 70 percent of the people on Earth will live in urban areas in the future.
Chang said she is cautiously optimistic about Taipei's future as a technologically advanced metropolis, as the city ranked No. 39 in the Global Cities Index 2010 released the previous week by U.S.-based Foreign Policy magazine, and because Taiwan has always been one of the most successful countries in developing information and communication technology.
Su Tseng-chang, the opposition Democratic Progressive Party's candidate in the Taipei mayoral election in November and an avid user of social media sites such as Plurk and Facebook, said technology and the Internet have changed the face of modern politics.
Citing the example of U.S. President Barack Obama, who is seen as the most successful political candidate to have run an election campaign on the Internet, Su said political candidates now are able to communicate with and mobilize voters, as well as to receive donations online.
"Modern politics is no longer a top-down process. It is now a bottom-up process and a two-way dialogue. The government and the cities are no longer run by the elite but by everyone who is willing to participate in the dialogue, " said Su, who has more than 55,000 fans on his Facebook fan page. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J