Cities hold a great promise for addressing some of the great struggles of our time. Data has been essential to researchers and policy makers for understanding the current implications of urbanization, but what if it could be used for more? Andres Rico talks about how novel sensor systems and algorithms could empower communities to address global urban and environmental challenges.

Cities, Community, Data, Sustainability, Urban Planning, Water Andres is a Ph.D. student from Mexico City at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab. He has a background in robotics, AI, and innovation. He is interested in understanding ways in which we can improve how we design, manage, and operate cities. His current work at MIT is focused on the development of communityscale, lowcost, and opportunistic sensor networks and algorithms. These systems aim to empower local communities with better information for resource management and promote larger scale policy changes; enhancing the social and environmental performance of cities. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx