"Fireside Talk: Rethinking Asset Management for Smart, Sustainable Cities"

Key Insights from Mr. Wees Abraham on how we should transform into what he coins as “Wise cities”, not just Smart cities.

A fireside chat at the recent Sustainable Cities Summit with Mr. Shane Mitchell Director of Advisory EMEA at Parsons and Mr. Wees Abraham, VP of Operations at Shade intended to delve into the transition of asset management towards a data-driven paradigm, particularly highlighting New Asset Development. Mr. Abraham advocated for a holistic approach to asset management, placing a central emphasis on the enhancement of existing assets. He underscored the critical nature of this focus, given that existing assets constitute 80% of our infrastructure and must seamlessly integrate with new developments.

During his session, Mr. Abraham utilized biomimicry as a foundational concept to draw insightful parallels between city infrastructure and the intricate underground networks of fungi. He elucidated on the mycorrhizal networks present among mushrooms, highlighting their role in connecting plants and facilitating the transfer of vital nutrients like water, nitrogen, and carbon. This analogy elegantly showcased how interconnected systems within urban planning could emulate these natural networks, thereby fostering enhanced resource sharing and communication among diverse city components.

Moreover, Mr. Abraham elaborated on how harnessing existing, cost-effective sensor technology could expedite the creation of urban ecosystems that emulate mycorrhizal networks sooner than anticipated. He emphasized the remarkable affordability of sensors, suggesting that this affordability accelerates the transition from conventional "Smart Cities" to what he coins as "Wise Cities". In his vision, buildings, vehicles, and roads not only interconnect but also actively communicate. This seamless connectivity could enable vehicles to dynamically adjust routes based on real-time traffic data and alert maintenance departments about road conditions for prompt repairs. Similarly, buildings could exchange information regarding emergencies or utility disruptions, facilitating coordinated responses to enhance safety and operational efficiency.

He emphasized the imperative for governments to establish regulatory frameworks mandating the integration of these technologies, akin to the approach taken with renewable energy as part of the sustainable mandate. By ensuring that systems are not only smart—capable of data collection—but also integrated—able to communicate and learn from one another—cities can truly become wise. This transition is pivotal for optimizing asset management and evolving urban planning into an adaptive, responsive system that aligns with sustainable development principles, thereby fostering a smarter, safer, and more efficient urban environment. Subsequently, all future asset development can be informed by real data, ensuring genuine optimization and seamless integration with existing assets.