Smart cities are the future of urban and sustainable living.
As urban centres continue to increase in population, many transforms into “smart cities” by leveraging digital transformation trends intended to make their residents’ lives better, governance more effective and resource consumption more efficient
Thus, with the world’s moving towards urbanization, there is an increasing number of smart city initiatives and projects in the near future.
Here are some of the main trends that the public can expect to influence smart city space.
Improvement in quality of life
Globally, smart cities initiatives are now emphasizing more towards improving the quality of life for urban residents.
Over these past few years, cities around the world has been seen utilising digital transformation trends to change the lives of their citizens for the better by being more inclusive and empowering.
These initiatives may include improved utilities and facilities, faster internet connection, foster inclusiveness by providing access to renewable energy to lower income household and improve public health and safety, public transportation as well as leisure and culture.
Ideally, creating a high quality of life will even boost a city’s economic prospects.
Renewable energy
Due to the climate change which cause extreme heat, rising water level and other weather conditions, urban planning in the cities has been called to focus on ways to provide alternative energy source.
Renewable energy such as wind and solar is in demand for being reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible energy sources that utilities are seeking to provide.
As a result, renewable energy has become the preferred energy sources in smart cities.
Call for investment in green space and infrastructures
As the world urban places becomes increasing congested and populated, there is now a greater need for more outdoor natural public spaces in smart cities.
Green infrastructures such as rain gardens, solar panels, urban tree canopy can be defined as an inter-connected network of open, green spaces that provide a range of ecosystem services.
Among the benefits of green spaces includes improving health, social well-being, reduce stress and improve restoration of the brain, and thereby improve mental health.
Urban green spaces are considered as important contributor and can be a significant part of sustainable development in smart urban living for city dwellers.
Data driven society
The implementation of smart cities involves the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies such as sensors along with the infrastructure to create actionable data.
These data may be created by ‘smart’ utilities to detect water leaks, video camera, WiFi and sensors to detect pedestrians, to monitor city infrastructures, managing everything from traffic flows and parking to monitor water and air quality.
The main objective of the use of real-time data and other new technologies that seek to maximize the usefulness of data, is for efficiency and to tackle longer-term planning decisions focused on environmental sustainability.
In smart cities, data is a valuable asset which is used to help serve people-centred smart city goals across the energy, economy, mobility, health, government, and safety domains.
Cybersecurity
As cities increase their abilities to use and target data, concerns and demands for data protection is a growing issue.
As the use of digital technologies began to increase, there is a need of cybersecurity as data protection is a growing issue (Image source: Pixabay)
With the increasing use of digital technologies, smart cities are also susceptible to numerous cyberattack.
This may include remote execution and signal jamming, malware and data manipulation.
To counter the attacks, comprehensive smart city plans are needed to safeguard critical infrastructure of individual citizens as well as public and private institutions.
