Municipal Infrastructure for Smart Sustainable Cities - Part 1

Introduction

Smart Cities have become a necessity and are now as ubiquitous as (and synonymous with) sustainable cities. The areas that are ripe for technology driven disruption extend well beyond social and business interactions. In many cases, that technology is applied in traditionally difficult to access (and manage) areas of the city.

The wealth of cities is found in their inhabitants and their activities, built upon robust and reliable urban infrastructure. Smart Cities are those that not only provide reliable and world-class infrastructure for human activity and life but do it in a way that is efficient, sustainable and innovative. Fundamentally in a manner that adapts and grows with the ever increasing demands on urban environments.

Probably the most exciting development in the urban infrastructure space is the planning, design and operation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) enabled sensing, data analysis and operations. Using ICT, key elements of municipal infrastructure can be monitored and controlled, data gathered can be analysed, acted upon and used to inform and automate operational processes. In this paper we explore how Smart Municipal Infrastructure is rapidly evolving and the exciting opportunities it poses to developers, utilities, authorities and businesses.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is quickly revolutionizing the traditional role of IT in the built environment. Effective application of IoT is a boon to the effective and sustainable operations of urban infrastructures.

The entire lifecycle of urban infrastructure management is being greatly impacted by technology. The range of IT systems being employed stretches across Data Driven Applications, Cloud based systems, Automated Fault Detection and Diagnostics based on rules derived from engineering models, databases and platforms that cover the breadth of: Asset, Work, Inventory, Procurement, Service and Contract Management.

Beyond the operational, cost and environmental efficiencies to be gained, application of smart technologies will also enable new services to be developed with real benefits for developers, authorities and for end-users.

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