The future of modern cities is anchored in data.
In 1999, a new device called a “smart phone” was just starting to hit the market—and it was a revelation. Smart phones, from the Simon Personal Communicator, launched by IBM in 1994, to the Blackberry, to the Apple iPhone, effectively changed the way we receive and distribute information. With smart phones, users could store several gigs worth of files in their pocket, communicate quickly through text and predictive typing, and access breaking news at the click of a button.
Weiterlesen: ‘Smart Cities’ Are Poised to Change Health, Safety, and Everything in Between
Unprecedented urbanization is compelling cities to fundamentally reimagine and transform for the future – and fast. According to the 2018 Revision of World Urbanization Prospects, roughly half of the world’s population lives in cities today and that figure is expected to increase to 68% by 2050.
You don’t have to be a city planner to imagine the impact of urbanization on infrastructure, systems and resources. There are undoubtedly risks – increased pollution, poverty, crime and cost of living, among others. But cities that take steps now to get smart and prepare can make way for economic growth, efficiency and a better quality of life for citizens.
Smart cities are going to have to put the people living there first if they're hoping to innovate.
Smart cities are the future, but as modern infrastructure advances, it's finding itself at a crossroads with the actual people that live there.
Modern cities are facing a wealth of problems, from climate change to housing costs to traffic to unemployment. Historically these issues have been tackled using politics and community incentives, but now, they're being tackled with new smart city tech. Things like ride-sharing or home-sharing, connected public transport, et cetera.
Weiterlesen: Smart Cities Will Need to Put People First – Not Technology – in Order to Survive
Around 68% of the global population might live in urban areas by 2050. Smart cities will likely be a part of this future, promising to make our lives more convenient, more secure and more sustainable.
Mostly, the stakeholders of smart city projects are politicians, consultants, academics and tech companies. However, the most important group of stakeholders is often missing: the ordinary citizens that will have to live in these transformed cities.
Weiterlesen: Smart cities must pay more attention to the people who live in them
We are living through interesting times. As Dickens might put it, it is perhaps the best of times for tech companies. The digital revolution is mind-blowing. But for most people, it could be the worst of times, given the global crises and challenges facing humanity.
One thing is certain: we live in a world of cities, and our planet is increasingly urban. By 2050, more than 70% of the world’s population will live in cities. Cities are the new engines of growth in the global economy, responsible for 80% of global GDP.
Weiterlesen: This is what a smart city should do for its people