Cracking the Innovation Code of Tel Aviv- The Digital Revolution Blurs the Lines between Resident and Visitor

We live in an urban era. Today, for the first time in history, the majority of mankind lives in cities. The city is no longer its mere buildings and streets – it is also a major factor that affects the nature of the life of those who visit it, live in it and do business in it. A city is a space filled with culture, business, politics and constant human interaction. One of the most significant (and fascinating) processes happening in the urban world in recent years is the return of communities. The human need to interact on a regular basis, holding shared values, interests or identity,replaces the sense of alienation that characterized life in a city in the past. Those visiting a city also get swept up in this new phenomenon, experiencing the city from the inside, just like the locals.

Contrary to common belief, the digital revolution, which is increasingly central to our daily lives, nurtures new connections in a city and largely prevents alienation. Parents who scold their children for 'sitting in front of a computer all day long' do not realize that their child is actually exploring digital arenas of interaction. Facebook,Twitter, instant messaging and Instagram – these are all platforms that create communities.These communities do not only exist online, but also in our day-to-day lives. Ask a single woman from Tel Aviv where she met her date tonight. Do not be surprised if she answers Tinder. Yes, people know each other through applications, they hold their political arguments on Facebook and share the first image of their newborn child on Instagram. They live a digital life and the city they live in is an amalgamation of digital and reality: an 'online city' and an 'offline city'.And it is here, where an 'online city' meets an 'offline city', officials and City Makers face their biggest challenges. This is where the challenge is, because this is where the opportunity is greatest - the opportunity to make citizens and visitors alike not only orchestrators of socio-cultural change, but also central to business and economic development.

Economics is no longer just an equation of supply and demand, but also of trust, efficiency, productivity and sustainability. Those in an urban community no longer have the same need for ownership – we can share. We share transportation, a public square, even an apartment. Living in a city allows me to be the owner of something, but only for the time when I really use it. I rent a bike, and that bike is mine as long as I ride it; when I get to my destination, that bicycle will soon belong to someone else. It's more sustainable, it's more economic, it's more community orientated and it's just better. Tel Aviv was recently recognized as the "World's Smartest City", an international award won for the City's 'smart' approach to its residents and a Sharing Economy through platforms such as the DigiTel residents card, digital community platforms and the promotion of business.

Visitors to Tel Aviv can make use of this Sharing Economy and the City's rapidly evolving digital travel industry and startup ecosystem. They touch down at Israel's international airport in Tel Aviv, use the application GetTaxi for transportation, sleep in an apartment from Airbnb and be in time for dinner made by a local in their apartment organized through EatWith. It is now widely understood that one must look at the economy through the eyes of the new resident, a resident that simultaneously produces and consumes and who is ready to share and cooperate. The new tourist is just the same, a city must use the opportunity presented by digital revolution to allow a visitor to become a local, even if only for a short while.

(Words / Hila Oren Pics/ WTCF Magazine)