What Makes a City Smart? The Rise of the Smart City
The rise of the smart city: How technology can help cities run better - National Geographic Society. National Geographic offers an in-depth look at why some cities are implementing smart city technology, and how it's being used to improve the day-to-day lives of citizens by making their cities run more efficiently and effectively.
5 Ways Your City Is Not So Smart
Smart cities are popping up all over. But are they really smart? National Geographic recently published an excellent piece on what makes a city smart. According to researchers, there are five characteristics that distinguish truly smart cities from their un-intelligent counterparts: 1) They have government leadership committed to transformation; 2) They have residents who are engaged with and invested in their city; 3) There is an open flow of information about what’s going on within it; 4) Everyone (residents, leaders, businesses) has access to digital technologies that facilitate communication and problem solving; 5) There is an emphasis on sustainability.
Based on these five criteria, three cities stand out as exemplary models of smart cities. Capital Smart City (CSC) in Pakistan is inarguably one of them.
Under its visionary Mayor Dr. Malik Mohammad Khan (also known as Captain Khan), CSC stands out because it has committed to transformation.
How exactly will CSC be different from other cities? According to Captain, when people think about their city, they ask:
Why is there so much traffic in Islamabad? Why don’t we have clean water?
Is everything safe and secure here?
These are just some of CSC’s ambitious goals to ensure that it is not only a smart city but also an exceptional one. It is taking steps to create government-led action groups and committees that will ensure that its systems work as intended. For example, it has set up multiple committees to monitor construction projects and their progress, monitor water supplies, and provide information to citizens about what’s going on in their community. According to Captain Khan himself, The present system needs change...We want people who say ‘this doesn’t happen here.' Based on these five criteria, three cities stand out as exemplary models of smart cities. Capital Smart City (CSC) in Pakistan is inarguably one of them.
Capital Smart City The First Smart City in Pakistan Capital Smart City will be equipped with massive tech infrastructure, making it easier for its residents to access information and stay connected. Its technologies will include an intelligent network that connects devices within CSC, including traffic signals, street lights, and trash bins that can track noise pollution and send notifications when they need cleaning. Residents will also have access to its live camera feed (something I’d love to see in Islamabad). In addition to its technological innovations, CSC is putting an emphasis on sustainability. It will rely on solar energy for many of its facilities and incentivize residents who install renewable energy technology at home.
6 Steps To Make Your City Smarter
Smart cities use technology to make urban areas better places to live. With help from new technologies, civic officials have more ways than ever to collect information and improve efficiency. But as you can imagine, installing smart city tech is easier said than done. Here are six things you need to know about making your city smarter starter.
There are 6 things you need to know about making your city smarter. First, define smart cities goals by understanding what technology can do for you. Second, figure out how long it will take to build and implement that technology. Third, do an assessment on how much money is needed to reach those goals. Fourth, develop specific plans on who will use and manage new tech in government organizations.
Fifth, start small by setting aside funding in your budget. Finally, communicate with constituents and keep them updated on progress you make in smart city tech development. It’s really that simple! All that’s left is to put your plan into action and work towards making your city smarter. Check out what our experts are doing to develop their cities smarter.
First, define smart cities goals by understanding what technology can do for you. Smart city technology encompasses sensors and connected devices. Its goal is to collect information on everything from traffic congestion to noise pollution, and use that data to make daily urban living easier for people in your city. While there are all sorts of smart tech available today, it can be hard to know where to start when choosing which technologies are right for your city. In some cities, civic officials have started with an array of sensor technologies meant primarily to help government agencies keep better track of things like energy use and storm water management.
Second, figure out how long it will take to build and implement that technology. All cities are different, so it’s important to know if your city needs new roads or needs better public transportation options, for example. It can also be smart to look at other smart cities around you—you can pick their brains on what worked for them and get ideas for your own implementation. (And if there are no other cities in your area with similar tech, don’t worry: We’ve still got you covered!)
7 Technologies That Are Revolutionizing Our World Today
With all of these new technologies, we might ask: What exactly is happening in our world today? How will smart cities change people’s lives in years to come? For answers, here are seven technologies that are revolutionizing our world today.
Three technologies in particular—Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and augmented reality—are making our world smarter. IoT refers to devices that connect and collect data from one another via various networks, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. By 2022, some experts predict there will be up to 20 billion connected devices worldwide. That’s impressive, but that's only part of it. What else is going on out there?
IoT devices include smart thermostats, which learn your temperature preferences and can be programmed remotely; smart cars that know when you’re low on gas and automatically order more before you run out; and smart appliances that can tell you how to cook better meals. These devices collect data through an array of sensors—for example, gyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometers, infrared sensors, proximity sensors—and share it with other connected machines. It’s what makes our world smarter every day. Still curious about IoT? Here are a few more facts about IoT.
Big data is another technology that’s paving smart cities with better infrastructure. It refers to huge datasets that are analyzed to reveal patterns and trends, so businesses can make smarter decisions. For example, city officials could use IoT data to monitor and analyze traffic patterns in an area. They might find out more people are using bicycles on Tuesdays at 10:00 AM and decide it’s a good idea to start building bike lanes for commuters during that time—with big data, officials can make these decisions based on specific information rather than general statistics. Read more about big data here.
The Future Is Here
Smart cities are no longer a futuristic concept. They exist today, and have since 2010, when Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power (QESP) won a competition to develop solar power infrastructure in Lahore, Pakistan. Lahore is now officially referred to as The First Smart City in Pakistan. Through networks that collect data from hundreds of different agencies and devices, citizens can use smart city technology to do everything from catching their bus on time to finding out how many calories they’re burning during their morning jog. Read more about how smart cities are helping people lead healthier lives around the world in The Future Is Here.
Since Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power’s win in 2010, smart city technology has spread across Europe and Asia, helping not only to conserve resources but also to improve government functions. In Santander, Spain, for example, citizens can pay for parking tickets online, connect with local businesses and get real-time bus and train information on their phones via Dashboard.
Smart Cities National Geographic Society - Second Paragraph: With smart cities saving time and money by using big data to better anticipate issues—and create more efficient infrastructure through solar panels or energy-efficient buildings—it’s clear that they are poised to be a hot topic at upcoming World Smart City Expo events around the world.
Smart Cities National Geographic Society - Second Paragraph: Will your city be next to become smart? If so, you might want to consider attending one of World Smart City Expo’s upcoming events. In these forums, government officials, technologists and other experts come together to discuss topics such as digital security, health and wellness, transportation and energy efficiency.
