Smart Cities: 5 Reasons We Should Care

The world is undergoing a global transformation with the majority of its population moving into urbanized areas. For instance, according to UN data, in the United States alone, urban residents have increased from 64% in 1950 to an impressive 83% today (UN, 2018). And, by mid-century, urban population will make up 89% of the U.S. population. At the same time, globally, 68% of the population is expected to reside in urban areas as people continue migrating to cities, which are becoming smarter each year through technological advancements. Cities are the places where the majority of us, as well as our children and grandchildren, will live. Thus, it is important to make our cities good. Which brings us to the reasons why we should care about smart cities.

A 'smart city' is a technologically advanced urban area that employs information and communication technology (ICT) and the Internet of Things (IoT) to enhance its sustainability, efficiency, and the quality of its services. Its fundamental mission is to improve the quality of life, economic competitiveness, and sustainability. Many cities in the US and around the world have started ‘smart’ projects which promise to improve the quality of life for their citizens.

Chicago, for example, has undertaken significant initiatives, allocating $160 million to transform 270,000 traditional streetlights into energy-efficient "smart LED lights". This move is projected to reduce energy consumption by 50% to 75%, resulting in nearly $10 million in annual operational savings and a utility rebate of approximately $34 million. Beyond the financial advantages, residents can anticipate improved reliability of streetlights and illumination tailored for precision. The city administration frequently highlights this undertaking as a major accomplishment. However, the implementation of smart streetlights is merely the tip of the iceberg and Chicago's desire for urban innovation extends to investments in smart street parking meters, advanced energy grid systems, smart thermostats, and an array of citywide sensors.

Whether we want it or not, the smart city concept is strategically important. Below is a list of 5 reasons why we should pay more attention to it in the coming years.

1. Inevitability of Smart Cities: Smart cities are becoming an inevitable part of our future. With rapid urbanization and technological advancements, these cities promise to integrate technology into the very fabric of urban life, making them smarter and more responsive to residents' needs. This trend might have both positive and negative consequences for us (see below) and needs to be observed very carefully.
2. Quality of Life Enhancements: The primary aim of smart cities is to enhance the quality of life. They focus on improving various aspects such as public services, transportation, safety, security, and sustainability, leveraging technology to make city living more efficient, healthy, and enjoyable. Clearly, this is a positive trend for city-dwellers around the world.
3. Data Collection and Privacy Concerns: At the heart of smart cities is extensive data collection, which raises significant privacy concerns. These cities will offer improved services in exchange for pervasive data collection, posing a challenge to determine the acceptable limits of privacy invasion. The gradual nature of this trend may lead to the 'boiling frog effect,' where results are not noticed until it's too late. This is a negative side-effect of cities getting smarter.
4. Pushback Against Data Intrusion: As smart cities press for more data collection, some individuals might resist, either actively through political protests and Luddism, passively by using different methods to camouflage their identity and data, or by opting to leave the city altogether. This resistance highlights the tension between technological advancement and personal privacy, which we should monitor carefully.
5. Early Stages of Smart Cities and Rapid Growth: Current data indicates that we are still in the early stages of smart city evolution. Following the concept of technology S-curves (Foster, 1986), or the “Theory of Evolution of Engineering Systems” (Altshuller, 1999; Zlotin and Zusman, 2013), we can expect an acceleration in the growth and complexity of smart cities. This rapid development suggests that we will encounter both known and unforeseen challenges and benefits, making it a field of continual discovery and adaptation.

Smart cities are the future for most of us. Let's keep an eye on the evolution of this important concept as it becomes our reality.