All tiers of governments around the developed world are embracing the smart city concept.
Digital technology is increasingly being harnessed to manage and optimise municipal services such as transportation, energy usage, waste disposal, and public safety.
But the smart city concept is anything but shiny and new. Its genesis can be traced back to the 1960s with the introduction of computerised traffic management systems. The groundwork for the smart city concept was laid further as technology evolved through the seventies to the nineties.
During the 2000s – arguably the first wave of the smart city evolution – governments began integrating smart infrastructure into public systems. “You had this boom of pilot projects with governments throwing money at it,” Andrew Tovey – from the Institute of Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney – tells GN.
This stage of the smart city evolution was heavily driven by corporate tech, keen to sell governments centralised smart city systems – often referred to as a Smart City Management System – so that services and operations could be integrated onto a single platform.
The software acts as a central hub for managing and analysing data from various sources within a city – including traffic sensors, public transportation systems, energy grids, and more.
However, while promising efficiency and enhanced services, an SCMS presents significant dangers such as cybersecurity vulnerabilities, privacy breaches, potential for misuse of data, and a reliance on a single point of failure.
“It’s a terrible idea,” says Tovey. “What you need is a diverse system of many parts that all come together in constant dynamic flux.”
Key to that is interoperability. “The ability for different systems to exchange data and talk to each other and work together as part of something bigger.”
Such a system protects against a catastrophic lights-out hack, says Tovey. “You don’t ever have this challenge of the system going down because all you’re going to get is little bits of it going down. You can build redundancy into that. It’s a much safer and more resilient way of doing things.”
Today, the smart city concept is moving beyond a sole focus on technology and toward a more human-centred approach. An approach informed by the International Organisation of Standardisation, which brings global experts together to agree on the best way of doing things – from making a product to managing a process.
“It emphasises people, place, participation, collaboration, openness, interoperability. All these sorts of things that make technology work in terms of delivering impacts and outcomes that people care about – social equity, sustainability etc,” says Tovey.
Established in 2019, the ISO guidelines signalled a shift from the “technology-centric, top-down corporate-friendly view of smart cities” to “a broadening of people’s idea of what smart cities were”, Tovey tells GN.
A human-centred smart city “needs to put people and place in the centre and position technology as a toolbox for helping solve real problems on the ground”, says Tovey.
Tovey cites Barcelona as a shining example. “The work that they are doing is far more engaging with community. You see collaborations between local governments and community groups, not-for-profits. It’s far more participatory – for the people by the people.”
Among the people-friendly initiatives Barcelona has adopted is a reimagining of the coastal city’s street layout. Certain areas restrict traffic to create pedestrian-only spaces, which encourages outdoor activities and fosters a sense of community.
Amsterdam is another city that engages with community. Governments, businesses, research institutions and residents have partnered to develop and test innovative solutions. By involving citizens, valuable insights have been gained into the practicality and effectiveness of ideas.
Helsinki also actively involves its citizens in decision-making. An online platform allows residents to access real-time data about city services and offer feedback on issues like public transport, housing and the environment.
All of the cities above are strong contenders for the world’s number one smart city. But – according to an annual worldwide ranking compiled by independent academic organisation the International Institute for Management Development – the accolade goes to Zurich.
The IMD listed strong infrastructure – including a robust transport system – sustainability goals, eco-friendly mobility, cultural events, quality of life, and inclusion among the reasons for the Swiss city’s number one placing on 2024’s Smart Cities Index.
First published in 2019, the Smart Cities Index collects data from 142 countries to understand citizens’ views of where they live. The rankings are based on five indicators: health and safety, mobility, activities, opportunities, and governance.
The majority of cities in last year’s IMD top ten are European, aside from Abu Dhabi (tenth), Singapore (fifth), and Canberra (third).
Canberra ranks high due to strong health and safety initiatives, availability of medical services, cultural activities, low pollution, green spaces, inclusion, education, and a high sustainability score.
Singapore also outperforms when scoring ticks for sustainability. It’s an area where technology plays a crucial role. The city-state is tackling environmental challenges through various methods: smart energy grids, efficient waste management, and urban farming initiatives.
With metropolitan centres some of the largest contributors to carbon emissions and waste, sustainability is at the heart of many smart city initiatives.
San Franciso is one of the US cities leading the way by leveraging data analytics, IoT infrastructure and AI-driven solutions to enhance energy efficiency, optimise transportation, and reduce carbon footprints.
The above examples “emphasise social and environmental outcomes”, says Tovey. “You’ll also see that reflected in local smart city strategies such as the NSW Smart Places Strategy.” The NSW government launched its Smart Places Strategy in 2020, becoming the first jurisdiction in the country to do so.
In 2022, a SmartNSW Roadmap – developed with stakeholders across local and state government, industry and the innovation sector – was established to guide the strategy. “The SmartNSW Roadmap is an ambitious plan to help us deliver great smart places for people through the use of technology and data solutions,” a Transport for NSW spokesperson tells GN.
Using data insights and technology, a smart place – examples of which may include a park, a precinct, suburb or region – helps people make more informed decisions to manage a location and enables governments to deliver better services to the community.
“The roadmap has several key objectives, including building capability, supporting innovation and developing best practice,” explains the Transport for NSW spokesperson.
With the help of councils, the NSW government has been working to implement the roadmap through the delivery of various pilot programs. These include using technology to detect road defects and determine how many spaces are available in carparks, and using data and modelling to manage urban heat and monitor air-quality.
Addressing concerns of a digital divide that may leave marginalised populations behind, the Transport for NSW spokesperson tells GN “equity, accessibility and inclusion” are essential for successful smart places. “The SmartNSW Roadmap has focused on ensuring all people can access and use digital technologies effectively,” they say. Putting people’s needs first “is a foundational element” of the government’s Smart Places Strategy, adds the spokesperson.
An example of this is the digital trust portal at Sydney Olympic Park, an Australian-first trial of the Digital Trust for Places and Routines guidelines. As the spokesperson explains to GN, “DTPR is a communication standard which increases transparency and accountability for digital technology in public places. It makes data collection more visible by publicly communicating the technology installed, what data is being collected and how it is managed. It also allows the public to provide feedback and access more information about the installation.”
The NSW government’s Smart Places Strategy fits the human-centred smart city template, says Tovey. “It’s about bringing together smart spaces, smart people, smart technology, and smart governance – all in a complex interrelationship.”
And you have to give equal time and attention to all of those elements, he adds – “not just technology”.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Christopher Kelly
Quelle/Source: Government News, 14.03.2025
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