Wintersession Workshop: Connected Cities with Lillian Coral

Lillian Coral joined the Knight Foundation in 2017, as the director of national strategy + technology innovation.

On Jan. 14-15, Lillian Coral of the Knight Foundation will present Connected Cities, a Winter Session workshop open to the CalArts community. The two-day workshop explores the challenges cities face as an increasing number of people, and more importantly, devices, become connected to the internet. 

It’s been estimated that by 2025, approximately 80 billion devices will be connected to the internet with an anticipated 180 zettabytes of data created.

By examining case studies and engaging in discussions, workshop participants will focus on how residents and city governments can collaborate and co-create more sustainable and ethical visions for the future. In the workshop description, Coral writes, “The ‘smartness’ of a city is not about technology per se, but how well technology is integrated into the solutions that address these common challenges.” 

Inspired by innovation and social justice, Coral joined the Knight Foundation in 2017, as the director of national strategy and technology innovation. She manages the national portfolio and focuses on the development of the foundation’s citizen-centered Smart Cities strategy. Prior to joining the Knight Foundation, Coral served as the chief data officer for Mayor Eric Garcetti in Los Angeles.