Connected Places Catapult’s Paul Wilson looks back to the beginning of the smart cities trend and tracks how the path has been laid for the future of the urban environment, culminating in the emergence of connected digital twins.
Q: Where did you start in the smart cities space and what lessons have you taken in the intervening years that still apply?
I’ve been involved in smart cities for almost 10 years now, beginning with the Bristol is Open project. In 2011, the UK government announced a new fund called Super Connected Cities. Money was awarded to cities around the UK from DCMS, and many used that finance to invest in fast broadband schemes. Bristol was different; the city wanted to hold out and invest in something more sophisticated and pioneering.
Weiterlesen: GB: Smart cities 1.0: a retrospective and a path to connected digital twins
Laying the digital groundwork by connecting communities is a key responsibility of local authorities, and the right foundations can attract investment and drive inclusive growth
“If you build it, they will come” is a regularly quoted line by many. Often used in relation to innovation and providing an environment that empowers others to build and grow, it’s actually a misquote from the 1989 film ‘Field of Dreams’. Originally said by character Ray Kinsella (played by Kevin Costner) in relation to a baseball field, the line is arguably now more famous as its incorrect counterpart.
Weiterlesen: GB: How local government can lay the digital, groundwork for growth
The City Operations Centre aims to position the Scottish capital as a leader in the UK for smart security and surveillance as well as integrate other data sources.
The City of Edinburgh has officially opened its new City Operations Centre, which aims to position the Scottish capital as a leader in the UK for smart security and surveillance tools.
Weiterlesen: GB: Scotland: Edinburgh takes key step in smart city journey
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) does not have a plan for the wider digital transformation that is needed to replace its outdated IT systems, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).
Defra provides many critical digital services including disease prevention, flood protection and air quality.
Weiterlesen: GB: Defra has no plan for 'critical' digital transformation, report says
A new CCTV network which has been rolled out across Edinburgh will help manage the Capital’s Hogmanay celebrations and deter anti-social behaviour like the firework-throwing on Bonfire Night and the arson attack on the city’s war memorial, the council has claimed.
The new state-of-the-art CCTV system significantly expands security coverage and replaces analogue cameras with high-resolution Internet Protocol (IP) devices. And a new city operations control centre will be staffed and receive real-time data from the camera network 24/7.