Smart city projects have already seen a lot of criticism for being too technology driven. Writer and urbanist Adam Greenfield, for example, explains the unprecedented dominance of technology businesses – or commercial actors, as he calls them – such as Microsoft, Cisco and Siemens in shaping the future of our cities with the following analogy: “It is as if the foundational works of twentieth-century urbanist thought had been collectively authored by United States Steel, General Motors, the Otis Elevator Company and Bell Telephone rather than [Swiss-French architect and urban planner] Le Corbusier and [American-Canadian journalist, theorist and activist] Jane Jacobs.”
Weiterlesen: Sometimes the most amazing smart city projects are those you least expect
The term "smart cities" is not a buzzword anymore. It is so much more than just something for every country to boast about. A report by Research and Markets states that the global smart cities market size is expected to reach $820.7bn by 2025, at a CAGR of 14.8%.
In fact, according to UN-Habitat, around 3 million people move to cities each week, and it is estimated that by 2050, nearly two-thirds of the world's population will reside in cities. This rapid urban growth demands a sophisticated and connected infrastructure that smart cities can fulfill.
Weiterlesen: Smart HVAC significant to sustainability in smart cities
As urban populations swell, the need for holistic smart city technologies is becoming abundantly clear in metros around the world. However, initiating citywide transformation is no easy feat.
To become champions of change and usher in the creation of smarter, more sustainable cities, today’s leaders must be prepared to take on extracurricular activities in addition to their usual duties. Topping the list is training and developing their teams, breaking down organizational silos and embracing public transparency.
Weiterlesen: How City Leaders Can Champion Smart City Technologies
The time for climate change debate is long over. After much discussion at the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference, the message is clear: It is time to get real about climate change and work collectively to transform the way we live.
Cities are a major contributor to climate change. More than 70% of the global population lives in cities and urban areas, and rising urban populations are intensifying carbon dioxide-emitting activities. As a direct result of climate change, we are witnessing more climate extremes as communities around the world face deadly heatwaves, intense rainfall and flooding.
Weiterlesen: Sustainable Cities: Accelerating The Path Toward Net Zero
Smart cities are supposed to represent the pinnacle of technological and human advancement. They certainly deliver on that promise from a technological standpoint. Smart cities employ connected IoT networks, AI, computer vision, NLP, blockchain and similar other technologies and applications to bolster urban computing, which is utilized to optimize a variety of functions in law enforcement, healthcare, traffic management, supply chain management and countless other areas. As human advancement is more ideological than physical, measuring it comes down to a single metric—the level of equity and inclusivity in smart cities. Essentially, these factors are down to how well smart city administrators can reduce digital exclusivity, eliminate algorithmic discrimination and increase citizen engagement. Addressing the issues related to data integrity and bias in AI can resolve a majority of inclusivity problems and meet the above-mentioned objectives.