Mar 29

Mar 29 Do We Need More Smart Cities?

While many think that a smart city means having an abundance of technology to assist with daily tasks, we aren't exclusively discussing smart technology as a way to build a smart city. Instead, we are talking about how to transform the city by understanding what the citizens need to get out of the city and making sure that those tools are provided to meet their needs.

As mentioned prior, a smart city doesn't just mean a city that incorporates technology to complete tasks. It takes a combination of smart energy, mobility, planning, buildings, governance, and technology to make a truly functioning smart city.

One of the biggest challenges in designing a smart city is not only remembering that the other sectors exists but also differentiating what technology is necessary to thrive. For example, a city that has lights that can turn on as a pedestrian approaches is likely in the near future but seeing every city light altered to become a phone charger is highly unlikely since it isn't serving a greater purpose to the city.

That isn't to say that a smart city wouldn't include citizen input. In fact, one of the key components to a successful city is having citizens voice their concerns. So opinions need to be concerned but a smart city prioritizes on making positive changes in the neighbourhood for the collective good and focusing on sustainability and scalability.

We ultimately need more smart cities if we want to see more urbanization development and adaptation. As the technological world continues to advance - think flying cars, artificial intelligence, drones, autonomous cars, etc. we need to be able to incorporate it into our cities. So even the most forward thinking cities of today will have to eventually rethink what it means to be smart.