Creating cities of the future – the proliferation of smart

Across the globe, today’s cities are facing dramatic social, economic and environmental transformation. The number of urban residents continues to grow by nearly 60 million every year, putting increasing strain on already heavily pressurised resources and infrastructure. We are turning, writes Alison Vincent, to technology to help solve some of these issues and help us run more efficient cities that use fewer resources and ultimately provide residents with a better quality of life

The fact is, even without a conscious effort by governments or local city officials; cities are getting smarter all around us. Every connected thermostat, Wi-Fi enabled security system or connected car is making its mark, connecting to a city network and helping citizens to better manage their lives. Yet the concept of a smart city goes so much further than that. The latest innovative technologies are helping us to make our cities smarter by collecting and analysing information about the urban landscape around us, improving how it works and helping us to overcome challenges specific to that city environment, from transport congestion to access to public services.

The author is
Alison Vincent, the chief technology officer for Cisco, UK and Ireland.

Different cities across the world are at different stages in adopting smart technologies, some running projects in localised districts to tackle a specific issue, such as air quality, while others are experimenting with city-wide connected platforms that aim to connect the whole city, over time, to what will essentially become its own dedicated operating system.

All about the people

Yet it’s not about technology for the sake of it. Cities are all about the people and it’s essential to bring the two together in a harmonious way. Technology has to enhance people’s lives and connecting a city and making it smart has to start with the needs of the citizens it already serves.

It requires an in-depth understanding of the challenges faced by its unique inhabitants, which will vary broadly from one place to another. Therefore, partnerships between public, private sector organisations and companies with extensive expertise in the field, are the key to establishing a well- balanced smart city that provides benefits to all.

Creating cities of the future

In order to enable the implementation of such innovative technologies and assist in accommodating the growing needs of modern communities, cities must have the right technology infrastructure in place. To say it in other words – cities must roll out the right network that can facilitate intelligent data collection and serve as the platform, or the backbone, for the smart city ecosystem.

Take the UK’s Manchester’s CityVerve project, for example, which is being delivered by a consortium of 21 organisations – including Cisco, Manchester City Council, Manchester Science Partnerships, the University of Manchester, BT and many others. It aims to bring together the brightest minds and pioneering use of Internet of Things technologies to redefine smart in the context of a living, working city and create a blueprint for smart cities worldwide.

CityVerve is the UK’s demonstrator for Internet of Things (IoT) and smart cities

It is being designed to create endless possibilities for new businesses, improvements to transport, education and healthcare services. The project actively engages with citizens and has plans to empower them, though technology, to be more involved in the city.

Cisco is also enabling cities from all around the world to turn their community data into action through its Cisco Smart+Connected Digital Platform, a cloud service that helps cities benefit from the Internet of Things. It allows data to be securely collected from 3rd party sensors, street cameras, devices, and other connected systems and objects in real-time.

This helps city departments and agencies to make decisions to improve operational efficiencies, increase revenue, and reduce costs in areas such as street lighting, parking, traffic flow, environmental sensing, waste management, safety and security, and other city services. One of the challenges currently facing smart city deployments is the sharing of data, be that as a result of government siloes, caution over data security or regulatory concerns. Cisco’s Smart+Connected Digital Platform helps city departments and agencies to benefit from the securely shared data, helping city leaders to make fully informed decisions.

Regardless of the project, city or country involved, the benefits of realising a fully-functioning smart city are markedly similar; to realise new revenues, save costs, improve efficiencies and improve the quality of life for the citizens who live there. Technology is set to connect governments, organisations, communities and individuals and empower citizens in ways we thought were the stuff of fiction just a decade ago.

RECENT ARTICLES

Semtech enhances global connectivity with NTN support in HL78 modules

Posted on: March 29, 2024

Semtech Corporation has announced the integration of non-terrestrial network (NTN) support into its HL series LPWA modules, specifically the HL7810 and HL7812. This significant advancement showcases a leap forward in enabling uninterrupted global connectivity even amidst the most challenging conditions.

Read more

Enhance EV charging performance with cellular connectivity

Posted on: March 28, 2024

Electric vehicles (EVs) are steadily growing their market share at the expense of internal combustion engine vehicles. The growth is fuelled by several factors. Perhaps most importantly, prices for EVs have started to drop as competition in the industry is intensifying. New players and models are emerging, prompting several established EV makers to lower their

Read more
FEATURED IoT STORIES

What is IoT? A Beginner’s Guide

Posted on: April 5, 2023

What is IoT? IoT, or the Internet of Things, refers to the connection of everyday objects, or “things,” to the internet, allowing them to collect, transmit, and share data. This interconnected network of devices transforms previously “dumb” objects, such as toasters or security cameras, into smart devices that can interact with each other and their

Read more

The IoT Adoption Boom – Everything You Need to Know

Posted on: September 28, 2022

In an age when we seem to go through technology boom after technology boom, it’s hard to imagine one sticking out. However, IoT adoption, or the Internet of Things adoption, is leading the charge to dominate the next decade’s discussion around business IT. Below, we’ll discuss the current boom, what’s driving it, where it’s going,

Read more

9 IoT applications that will change everything

Posted on: September 1, 2021

Whether you are a future-minded CEO, tech-driven CEO or IT leader, you’ve come across the term IoT before. It’s often used alongside superlatives regarding how it will revolutionize the way you work, play, and live. But is it just another buzzword, or is it the as-promised technological holy grail? The truth is that Internet of

Read more

Which IoT Platform 2021? IoT Now Enterprise Buyers’ Guide

Posted on: August 30, 2021

There are several different parts in a complete IoT solution, all of which must work together to get the result needed, write IoT Now Enterprise Buyers’ Guide – Which IoT Platform 2021? authors Robin Duke-Woolley, the CEO and Bill Ingle, a senior analyst, at Beecham Research. Figure 1 shows these parts and, although not all

Read more

CAT-M1 vs NB-IoT – examining the real differences

Posted on: June 21, 2021

As industry players look to provide the next generation of IoT connectivity, two different standards have emerged under release 13 of 3GPP – CAT-M1 and NB-IoT.

Read more

IoT and home automation: What does the future hold?

Posted on: June 10, 2020

Once a dream, home automation using iot is slowly but steadily becoming a part of daily lives around the world. In fact, it is believed that the global market for smart home automation will reach $40 billion by 2020.

Read more

5 challenges still facing the Internet of Things

Posted on: June 3, 2020

The Internet of Things (IoT) has quickly become a huge part of how people live, communicate and do business. All around the world, web-enabled devices are turning our world into a more switched-on place to live.

Read more