MSG Team's other articles

9023 The Drivers of Globalization: Friedmans Flatteners

The famous author and cheerleader for globalization, Thomas Friedman, in his book The World is Flat identified some key drivers of globalization. He called these factors the flatteners to denote the premise of the book that these factors were responsible for the flattening of the world. In other words, globalization has ensured that all countries […]

10298 Marketing Channel Systems – Meaning and Important Concepts

Introduction The last two decades have changed the way business is getting conducted. Some businesses are still using traditional channel systems but advent of the Internet has revolutionized distribution channels. Companies are changing business models to leverage Internet advantage. With open proliferation of information, customer expectations are reaching new heights. Companies need to figure out […]

9570 How Big Data and Algorithms along with Platform Capitalism Rule Our World

The Elements of the Digital Economy If you have ever transacted on an eCommerce site or have used your Smartphone or Mobile for commercial purposes as well as have taken a ride in the digital aggregator cab services such as Uber or have ever used Mobile Wallets and other forms of digital payments, chances are […]

11857 What is Disaster Recovery Plan ?

Imagine that you are running a small scale organization and have been in business for over five years. You have managed to streamline all processes online including purchasing, payroll, invoicing and accounting etc. It is quite likely that you will not have paid any thought to taking backup of your data on systems. Even if […]

12167 What is a Project Schedule ?

What is a Project Schedule ? A Project schedule is a document that contains vital information about the beginning and ending of the each of the five phases of the DMIAC Six Sigma methodology. The project schedule is an important document because it contains information about the project team, risks that have been identified and […]

Search with tags

  • No tags available.

What are Smart Cities and How They Have the Potential to Revolutionize Urban Living

We often hear the term Smart Cities mentioned in the media. We also come across excited business leaders and politicians as well as urban planners and members of think tanks breathlessly talk about how Smart Cities would transform the way we live in the future. Even in our conversations with peers and friends, the term Smart Cities is bandied about. So, what exactly are Smart Cities and how are going to impact us in the future?

To start with, a Smart City is an Metropolitan or Urban region that uses cutting edge technologies such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), Big Data, IoT (Internet of Things), and networked 4G and 5G technologies to connect the urban systems and the homes as well as offices and other spaces to actualize a real time and technology driven governance.

In other words, Smart Cities are place where technology is used to drive better urban administration and governance. imagine if your home is connected to the Smart Grid and where everything from your garbage collection to the water supply as well as power and internet are all linked together and where you get real time updates about each of them in terms of how and what is happening daily.

How Smart Cities Enhance the Everyday Life of Residents

How convenient would your life be if in addition to the above, you know in advance which roads are congested and which parking lots are vacant as well as how the weather would be even before you leave home for work? In other words, Smart Cities enable such conveniences since everything is connected and hence, you get real time updates about virtually anything that impacts your everyday life.

As mentioned earlier, garbage collection is automated, water supply is measured using Smart Meters, traffic updates are delivered by mobile apps, Smart Parking systems allow you to reserve your parking lots in advance, and real time weather and traffic updates let you know the optimal route you should take to reach your workplace.

Indeed, who wouldn’t want to live in such a place where everything is taken care of and seamless connectivity ensures that you are spared of the hassles of everyday living that residents of other metros have to put up with.

Smart Cities - The Hype vs. Realities

Having said that, one must also speculate on how much of this is possible in reality given the conditions and the infrastructure in many cities worldwide. Indeed, we are not talking about India alone where though the government encouraging Smart Cities, the realities are such that such a concept would take a long time before it can fructify. Instead, apart from San Francisco and Singapore and some European cities, the rest of the major metros worldwide are simply not yet ready to take off to embrace the Smart Cities concept.

The reasons for this range from lack of adequate virtual and physical infrastructure as well as the mindboggling realities of transitioning the existing systems into connected ones. For instance, Smart Cities need real time and consistent connectivity which is failsafe and foolproof against natural and manmade disasters. Indeed, any Smart City must necessarily have 4G networks as well as a Smart Grid that encompasses water supply, garbage collection, road maintenance, traffic and law enforcement, piped gas, automated and digitally enabled parking, and the very real aspect of disaster and recovery management.

To actualize all of this, massive investments are needed in both setting up the infrastructure and in training the various administrators and civic officials as well as to bring people online. Further, Smart Cities need to be planned and hence, all those urban regions that have historical legacy systems need to be transitioned on a humungous scale. Thus, one needs to be realistic about the hype around Smart Cities.

What Can be Done to Make Smart Cities a Reality

However, it is also the case that with the right planning and flawless execution, Smart Cities can become a reality down the line. For this to happen, the Federal and the State Governments must invest in capacity building and this is where corporates and businesses gain by pumping in massive investments in return for stakes in the to be built projects. This is a win-win situation where PPP or Public Private Partnership can yield the desired results.

In addition, multilateral agencies such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank can pitch to invest and fund the initiatives. More importantly, Crowdfunding can help the various stakeholders in finding suitable investments.

Indeed, this is already being done in the proposed Smart City of Amravati in Andhra Pradesh where the government is experimenting with innovative initiatives such as land pooling and Crowdsourcing.

Of course, the fact that for Smart Cities to become a reality, the politicians, and the social activists need to work together taking each other’s concerns into account. Moreover, the top leaders must Walk the Talk and not resort to slogans and catchy sound bites without actual movement on the ground.

Conclusion

Lastly, while there is much hype around Smart Cities, the realities are daunting as well. however, with increased migration to urban areas and with creaking infrastructure, there is no choice but to improve urban governance and hence, one must embrace Smart Cities wholeheartedly if we are to continue living in cities.

To conclude, the 21st Century is all about transitioning into a sustainable mode of living and Smart Cities complement the objective of such imperatives and one can go as far as to say, it is now or never.

Article Written by

MSG Team

An insightful writer passionate about sharing expertise, trends, and tips, dedicated to inspiring and informing readers through engaging and thoughtful content.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles