Smart Cities: The Future of Living

With the advancement of AI and other technologies, the possibilities are endless when it comes to incorporating technology to simplify our daily lives. Smart cities are just one of many examples: there are currently 142 smart cities around the world with Zurich, Switzerland ranked as the “smartest” city according to the 2024 Smart City Index .

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What is a Smart City???

Smart cities combine sensors that are placed throughout a city with digital technology to collect data in real time to improve quality of life. 1 For example, a city worker may use an app to track outages or accidents, which allows them to respond to problems quicker and more efficiently. Most if not all capabilities in a smart city are linked to one app that residents can use to perform daily tasks such as paying a traffic ticket or tracking a package. Conserving time and energy are a focal point of a smart city.??

Features of a Smart City?

• Smart Transportation?

With the sensors in place throughout a smart city, tracking traffic flow helps reduce travel times. Sensors can detect areas on the roads that are more congested than others and adjust the timing of traffic lights. 2 Some systems can even accommodate buses or emergency vehicles. Over a lifetime, Americans spend an average of 408 days commuting with longer commutes affecting sleep, productivity, and quality of life. 3 It is predicted that by 2025, cities that utilize smart-mobility technology could cut travel times by 15-20%. Parking can also be improved with a smart parking meter network, which notifies drivers via app where open spaces are and can automatically charge users parking fees. Barcelona utilizes sensors placed on street curbs to alert drivers where a nearby parking space is located.? ?

• Improved Health?

New healthcare technology such as remote –patient monitoring systems use digital devices to take patients’ vitals and send the information privately to doctors in another location. This makes for less frequent hospital visits and allows the patient to receive care in the comfort of their own home. Cities can also use data to determine demographics prone to higher risks and track infectious diseases and air quality. This could minimize negative health effects by about 3-15%. Louisville, Kentucky uses sensors around the city and citizen reporting to identify asthma hotspots which are then recorded on a map and can be accessed via an app. 4? ?

• Crime Reduction Technology?

In a smart city, emergency personnel can be deployed to a scene quicker and more efficiently using smart city real time data. Call centers connect those in need to emergency services while working hand-in-hand with smart-mobility to speed up response times by about 20-35%. A crime reduction technology called crime-mapping uses statistical data to look at patterns of incidents. Predictive policing is another crime reduction system used to anticipate illegal activity before it happens. However, transparency concerns as to how data is used have been raised by cities that already utilize predictive policing. 5 Currently, Singapore has technology that can detect when someone is smoking in a prohibited area or littering off a high-rise building. 6?

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Smart Cities in Germany and the United States?

There are currently six smart cities in Germany and 11 in the US. Of these cities, Hamburg, Germany is the highest-ranking city coming in at 14th out of 142 total cities according to the 2024 Smart City Index.??

In Germany, smart cities are focusing on sustainable development as well as addressing the public's concern for data protection and usage. In 2026, Berlin will begin using smart water modeling in city planning projects to deal with climate change and tackle water supply issues. Berlin also plans to involve citizens more in the development of smart city technology by organizing discussions and think tanks where they can share their opinions. 7?

Smart cities in the United States are not completely reliant on technology yet but are starting to incorporate small changes to improve daily tasks. Most initial initiatives in US cities include making free Wi-Fi accessible everywhere in the city and installing smart streetlights to conserve energy, which get brighter when they sense motion. New York City is the “smartest” US city, ranked 34th overall. The city is using AI-enabled traffic cameras to help cut down on travel time. 8?

The Future of Smart Cities and Data Concerns?

By 2026, it is estimated that smart cities will generate $20 trillion in revenue with 68% of the population predicted to live in urban cities by 2050. 9 Many cities throughout the world are beginning to go through pilot programs to see if integrating smart technology is a good fit for their city. As technology continues to progress, the data used in existing smart cities will continue to advance and make daily tasks more efficient.?

Privacy concerns have been raised, as smart cities operate on data usage which may include sensitive data. Yet, most technologies only collect environmental or collective behavioral data – not personal data. 10 As smart cities become more commonplace, it might be argued that governments could benefit from prioritization of cybersecurity.?

Conclusion:?

The use of data and technology is making its way into our daily routines and can improve quality of life. Smart cities are an emerging innovation that will continue to expand in the coming years. Collaboration within smart cities brings together experts and resources while addressing complex urban challenges.?

If you would like to learn more about the future of smart cities in our world, we welcome you to join us on a delegation trip to New York City and Chicago from October 21 - 25.?

Sources:?

1. McKinsey & Company (2018) https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/smart-cities-digital-solutions-for-a-more-livable-future ??
2. National Geographic https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/smart-cities/ ?
3. Ridester (2024) https://www.ridester.com/average-us-commute/ ?
4. Washington State University chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://eecs.wsu.edu/~cook/pubs/pieee18.pdf ??
5. Brennan Center for Justice (2020) https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/predictive-policing-explained ??
6. CNBC (2017) https://youtu.be/bANfnYDTzxE?si=-RZk_1Ra6g74SFsN ??
7. Israel Public Policy Institute (2023) https://www.ippi.org.il/navigating-smart-city-development-in-germany/#:~:text=Berlin's%20Smart%20City%20Strategy%3A%20A%20Collaborative%20Approach&text=These%20include%3A,cooperation%20with%20industry%20and%20research ???
8. Sand Technologies (2024) https://www.sandtech.com/insight/smart-cities-in-the-us/ ??
9. Market.us Scoop (2024) https://scoop.market.us/smart-city-statistics/#:~:text=The%20Global%20Smart%20City%20Market,approximately%20%2420%20trillion%20by%202026 .??
10. Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (2023) https://itif.org/publications/2023/03/06/balancing-privacy-and-innovation-in-smart-cities-and-communities/ ??