Owen Davies, of Abergavenny, founder of Owen Davies Consulting, talks about his opinions of Smart Towns in this audio interview.

A smart town is an urban area that uses different types of technology, including sensors to collect various forms of data. Insights gained from that data are used to manage assets, resources, and services efficiently. In return, data is used to improve the operations and future prosperity across the town.

Owen Davies Consulting is working with Smart Towns Cymru led by Menter Môn and Clive Davies, who has driven the adoption of Smart technology in Cardigan, to pilot a place-based approach to exploring with businesses the idea of creating a Smart Town Plan pilot for Abergavenny town centre. The Year of Smart Towns is closely aligned with the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns agenda and wider funding for town centres.

Owen says:

“The Smart agenda is very much about how you understand places in the 21st century. It’s ensuring that places are in tune with their future opportunities.”

The first step is to produce a Smart Action Plan for Abergavenny that prioritises opportunities and challenges in the town centre with the potential for smart solutions. Potential funding could be available for towns with a Smart Action Plan to implement the ideas identified by businesses.

Owen, who is a chartered town planner MRTPI, oversees all aspects of his practice. This includes maintaining great client relations, initiating projects, and managing each one through to completion, financial management and lead creative. With more than 25 years’ experience in technical and leadership roles for public authorities and multinational consultancies, his work has included projects located across England, Wales and overseas. This regularly includes regeneration initiatives, economic strategies, development proposals and masterplans for towns and cities, neighbourhoods, industrial centres, waterfronts, cycling facilities and tourism destinations.