Smart cities, using cutting-edge technology that will revolutionize the way that urban centres operate, was the theme of a Liberal forum Sunday at Champlain College in St. Lambert.

But it was an old-fashioned labour protest outside that took much of the attention.

Prior to the meeting, municipal workers protesting the Liberals' Bill 3 pension reform plan congregated outside of the meeting to express their opposition, while inside experts discussed how communications technology could improve city living.

One expert said that the biggest challenge might not be in improving the world with technology but rather persuading a public that recently raised considerable opposition to smart Hydro meters.

"Are people ready for autonomous cars? Are people ready for cameras at intersections?" asked IBM Strategy Consultant Jean-Francois Barsoum.

"We need a vision of what we want to do with our intelligence. Do we want to be a centre for creative arts? Solve our transportation issues and become a model for other cities to solve theirs? Or be a place with better quality of life and clean air? These would all lead to different kinds of projects. If we pick one of those and run with it, it will be a big part of getting there," said Barsoum.

Municipal Affairs Minister Pierre Moreau said that smart cities could help the city get more bang for the buck, particularly in transportation.

"We created a committee in 2011 and now Robert Poeti is bringing it back and we have seen that we can have a gain in mobility with the possibility of having interconnections between all actors in the Montreal area," said Moreau.

Premier Couillard answered several questions concerning the Bill 3 pension reform legislation and said that the government remains committeed to discussing the issue with the unions but also remains steadfast in its intentions of moving forward with its plans.