By David Jenkins
When most people think of smart cities they define them in terms of technology.
A quick internet search of definitions bears this out. Smart cities are commonly defined as urban areas which use digital technology to collect data which is then used to provide services.
In most discussions, smart cities are about Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices, wireless networks and arrays of cameras.
While there is no doubt these technologies are key to the smart city idea, perhaps we should be a little broader and more holistic in our approach.
Coming from the discipline of asset management, there is a case to be made that smart cities are also about infrastructure and sustainability, not just their environmental impact but also the social and financial ones.
One way of thinking about it is to ask: what are the features of living in a smart city? The response would be that the city should rate highly for liveability, access, mobility, community and its environment.
Measuring liveability, for example, can’t be done by the amount of data which is shared or the internet speed. It is an aggregation of every aspect of living in a city, particular to each location, which is the sum total of all of the parts.
Technology cannot exist in silos. It needs to be integrated into a holistic plan which ultimately all combine to deliver to the smart city vision.
This requires a systems approach, where all the features and interdisciplinary knowledge plays into a structured and cohesive process.
Many cities, for example, are implementing waste sensors in public space bins. This is great technology but if the infrastructure and services are not there to respond to the real time notifications sent by the sensors, and if the waste is not disposed of to high environmental standards, then there will be minimum return of investment on the technology.
There is also the possibility, as some analysts have pointed out, that infrastructure and technology decisions made for smart cities might have a negative impact on the city’s efforts to reduce emissions and decarbonize.
At the heart of building smart cities is a commitment to innovation, and harnessing that for the community.
In the asset management realm, this innovation can include incorporating green and natural assets into infrastructure solutions which help to reduce emissions while also being cost effective. That is not a technology solution, but increasingly it presents as a smart option.
IoT sensors will deliver environmental monitoring on air quality, noise levels and water quality in real time. If this data is not used to inform other changes in the urban landscape, including the driving of new infrastructure decisions, then the value of those data projects is problematic.
Smart cities should be judged on their outcomes, so perhaps the right way to plan for them is to start with an understanding of what the technology and innovation is seeking to achieve.
That requires a long term systems approach which is resilient and can adapt to change, including using next generation technologies in the future without undoing what is done in the short term.
