Introduction to SMART CITY, for Klasse 4A

As some of you know, Eugene is father of a 14-year old boy. Each year since Josef started school, I make a free tour for his school class, out on the streets of Vienna. We have explored various themes, always relevant to the kids' age, and in German.

This year, we will explore the meaning of a smart city, how authorities are opening up their data so that citizens can develop apps to improve services and efficiency (from WU to street art on Donaukanal). Many young people are lacking hope in the future, and we want to show the inclusive, democratic value of a city which invites residents to get involved in shaping the future of their home town.

Eugene offers this tour to every Vienna school, as a satisfying walk about who we are, and where we all came from. While this tour is a private one for Gymnasium am Augarten, the concept of the tour is available to any school in Vienna, and we find it could be a productive way to get new, honest insights into our youth in 2026. These are not easy days to be young, and we hope to offer some support. Therefore we offer Feminism for Boys tours (so popular!), a swim walk looking at the meaning and value of water in our city (Romans, swimming, fountains, snow, fish and tourism), Ecological Wien and also a walk about Liveability, which is our most popular event!

He is also DJ and makes a music adventure for groups interested in learning about the future of Vienna music, taking over the soundtrack of schools' instrument teaching for 1 hour, initiating a world tour of Vienna future music (from Syria to Serbia, Ukraine to Chechnya). These groups dance enthusiastically and love to translate the song words out of their home language, for friends. It is a celebration - and reflects how fusion has dominated British music since the Beatles (they loved R&B, then Sade brought Nigeria to London, UB40 Jamaica to Birmingham, MIA Sri Lankan rebel music to London, and now Ed Sheeran understands his music as Irish-Ipswich). It costs nothing to rent me for one hour!