The concept of smart cities has captured many on a global scale with its purpose of transforming urban living through the integration of technology. The mix of history and being open to the implementation of technology makes Edinburgh an ideal candidate for the idea of exploring how IoT and AU can reshape the city and thereby bring it into the future. In the same way that online platforms in banking, music, and online roulette games have been revolutionized by this new technology, the concept of smart cities offers great potential but also concerns that call for careful examination.
The Idea of Intelligent Infrastructure
The smart city vision comes with the idea of urban efficiency. Traffic control systems that adapt to traffic in real time could eliminate the massive traffic that often appears in Edinburgh during rush hour. Instead of using the traditional traffic light system, AI could optimize the flow of traffic based on the actual number of vehicles and pedestrians, with the potential of reducing commute times but also emissions.
Energy efficiency
Energy management is another attractive outcome of implementing the smart city model. Smart grids could balance electricity demand across Edinburgh. The system could be used to integrate renewable sources more efficiently by storing wind power and distributing it when needed.
Waste collection
Waste management could also be more efficient by using bins equipped with sensors, making it possible to monitor them and give a signal when they are full. This would make the emptying schedule less rigid. In a big city like Edinburgh with its inhabitants and tourists, this could lead to cleaner streets both in daily life but also during festivals and other events.
Air quality monitoring
Comprehensive air quality monitoring networks would be able to provide pollution data that could help the residents make more informed decisions concerning outdoor activities while at the same time, giving city planners reliable information for more targeted interventions.
The Downside of Digital Surveillance
Despite the many positive sides of the smart city concept, the negative sides also have to be explored. We already have a society with massive surveillance both in public but also online. The use of AI and data storage raises concerns about privacy, which is completely fair, as the concept would mean a larger amount of surveillance. Some would say that if you don’t have anything to hide, you should have no problem, but the fact that the smart city concept could be used to track citizens in more ways than intended should raise concerns.
Higher risk of cyberattacks
The issues of cybersecurity would also have to be addressed, as centralizing city operations through digital networks would create a higher risk of cyberattacks due to an increase in targets concerning the infrastructure. If breached, people with ill intentions would be able to paralyze everything from traffic, energy distribution, and even emergency services. This alone should be enough reason for us to think this through before starting to implement. Thankfully, it is an ongoing debate where politicians are trying to find out where to compromise and where not to.
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Quelle/Source: The Edinburgh Reporter, 06.06.2025
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