Hangzhou, China: Several Alibaba software engineers sit at the helm of a massive software program in the hometown of China's biggest online commerce company, watching the computer work its magic. This software has recently cut commute times drastically for residents of the busy Chinese city, and has reduced the time it takes first responders to reach people in half.

City Brain

Alibaba's software program, dubbed City Brain, uses advanced machine learning and citywide data such as public transportation GPS and intersection cameras to predict and optimize traffic flow throughout the city. City Brain is connected to over 1000+ traffic lights and road signals. It works to ensure the smoothest traffic flow possible while enhancing critical logistic needs, such as first responders addressing drug addiction rehab emergencies, public safety threats, etc. Two years into its implementation, Alibaba reports that City Brain is a huge success.

Technologies such as City Brain exist throughout the world in various places, such as Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Wolfsburg, Germany. The technologies extend far beyond the control of traffic flow, as tech companies envision rolling out these technologies in cities across the planet to create smart cities.

What Is a Smart City?

According to the McKinsey Global Insitute, smart cities utilize "technology and data purposefully to make better decisions and improve the quality of life." They implement cutting edge technologies and integrate advanced machine learning to optimize logistical, environmental, and safety-related processes.

Tech companies know that process inefficiencies cost cities millions of dollars every year and lead to untold amounts of wasted resources. With smart cities, they want to solve those problems.

Pros of a Smart City

Smart cities promise to be the cities of the future, with fewer wasted resources and a dramatically enhanced quality of life. Tech companies want smart cities to stimulate private innovation and reduce government bloat, which could lead to more efficient response times and better customer service. So, just what are the numbers on this?

*(The following statistics from the McKinsey Global Institutes's "Smart Cities: Digital Solutions for a More Livable Future")  

Safety

In implementing systems that improve first responder response time, track crime in real time, and deploy algorithms to detect patterns in crime data, experts predict that smart cities will experience:

• 30-40 percent reduction in crime

• Drastically reduced first responder time

• 30-300 lives saved per city per year

Transportation Efficiency

Systems such as City Brain that optimize traffic flow and predict traffic patterns can:

• Decrease commute times by 15-20 percent

• Increase employee efficiency by reducing transit time

• Improve quality of life for commuters by cutting down time stuck in traffic

Health

Global health systems today more than ever need machine learning to improve outcomes and quality of life. Smart cities propose systems such as remote patient monitoring, which decreases the burden on already strained systems such as health care facilities and drug addiction rehab centers. They could also lead to:

• 8-15 percent fewer diseases

• Reduced air pollution illnesses by 8-15 percent

• Improved longevity and quality of life

Environment

Through implementing innovate waste management systems such as using water reduction technologies and charging variable rates for different amounts of waste removal known as pay as you throw plans, smart cities may be able to:

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions 10-15 percent per year

• Reduce solid waste by 66-286 pounds per person per year

• Reduce water usage by 7-21 gallons per person each day

Jobs

One of the gravest concerns in the rise of technology is jobs. Some people fear that they will lose their jobs and will be replaced with machines. They worry that they will be employed and unable to support themselves and their families.

To counter these fears, smart cities may promote offerings such as online career centers to make hiring more efficient and pull inactive, unemployed, and underemployed individuals back into the workforce. Such offerings have the potential to:

• Increase employment rates 1-3 percent

• Decrease the entry barriers faced by startups and small businesses, such as government red tape and processes for onboarding employees, leading to more jobs

Cost of Living

The cost of living in some cities around the world, such as San Francisco, Hong Kong, Singapore, and New York can be exorbitant and scare people from living there. Smart cities have the potential to change that. Through proposed strategies that digitize land acquisition and make it cheaper to buy and build homes, smart cities can potentially:

• Reduce the cost of living 1-3 percent

• Encourage lower costs for building homes and living areas

• Foster the smooth operation of public transportation systems

• Reduce dependence on automobiles

The Dark Side of Smart Cities

There are always two sides to the coin, and smart cities are no different. While they offer many potential benefits, some fear the rise of smart cities will lead to many low-tech and unskilled workers being displaced from their jobs.

Others say smart cities will lead to a dystopian future where only the wealthy can afford to live and work in these places, forcing unskilled workers to live on the margins of society. The cities also have the potential to create a technocratic society in which tech companies such as Amazon, Facebook, and Google control our lives.

In the end, many feel that smart cities and the technology that accompanies them are inevitable, and city leaders should do their best to prepare citizens for these changes. Tactics such as job retraining and technical education will go a long way toward facilitating a smooth transition to this futuristic world. Ideally, this transition will not leave anybody behind, but whether that will happen remains to be seen.

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