Just as the world has moved forward, people have started to migrate from rural lands to increasing urban urbanization. Urban centers are large arrangements that need to draw funds always to support both their maintenance and development. The main aim is to provide better living standards to the people to improve their quality of life.
Among the many highlights of the urban centers, the city lights and other related possibilities have always been captivating for all the people around the world. As the number of people migrating to urban lands increases, the United Nations foretells that by 2050 over 68 percent of the population will be residing in big urban centers. As a result of this ascending trend, urban bubbles are extending. Because more and more people are facing urban lands with a prospect of better necessary facilities, the increase in demand is useful in the supply. In other words, the resources on which cities rely daily like energy, water, infrastructure, conditions have become insufficient to cater to the needs of every single household.
Analyzing these variables, along with traffic and pollution, governments and regional institutions have started seeking alternatives. Among the many alternatives and ways to solve the problem and to fulfill the needs of every individual, the integration of technology and IoT systems are being introduced. These are the points of access for smart cities. The main aim is to adopt smart solutions offered by Informational Technology by outsourcing businesses that contribute to creating more sustainable, green techniques to administer resources. To get a more detailed idea of intelligent IoT systems and related technologies, visit arobs.com. In this context, it was just a matter of time before the concept of smart territory developed as a complementing idea to be able to make connections and information interchange between societies.
What makes a city smart?
Although the idea of having a smart city seems interesting and catchy, the first thing is to understand what it actually means. A smart city is a city that consists of effective administration, continuous improvement in the growth of lifestyle quality, and environmental sustainability. In other words, it would aim to continuously improve and excel in handling resources on different levels, i.e., infrastructure, transportation, services, education, health care, public safety, energy, and urbanism. The whole idea of a smart city begins with digitalization and the integration of new technologies in the government’s system and processes. Therefore, Information Technology is a vital part of the whole system and method that sets the base for the entire concept of a smart city.
Today, people living in cities are facing problems of their own. As urbanization has increased without any check and balance, several issues have been faced by the residents as well as the administration to cater to a considerable number of populations. These problems are seen in not only the infrastructure but also in the services provided by institutes like healthcare, education, etc.
Despite all these problems, the existing technology wave, strongly supported by the IT industry, is producing perfect possibilities for the regional institutions and the private sector to shake hands and cooperate.
To understand what a smart city must include, its characteristics and properties, and what are guidelines of it, research conducted by the Industry, Research and Energy Committee of the European Parliament in 2011 has distinguished six principal properties of smart cities which should guarantee Europe 2024 strategy will be done.
- Smart governance
- Smart economy
- Smart mobility
- Smart environment
- Smart people
- Smart living
Guidelines for a Smart City
Reforming public systems that have been conservative for ages is no easy job to do. Turning the whole system into a technological or smart is one thing, but sometimes smart actions get lost among documents and bureaucracy approvals rather than get to see the daylight of implementation. But thanks to the constant up-gradation and accelerated technology adoption and software development, the system has changed a lot. Even though the public institutions were not prepared for it, change has occurred slowly, and as a result, almost every public system has adopted it sooner or later. But the main question in almost any change process is common, i.e., from where to begin? To provide a quick and easy solution to this question, these could be a couple of factors that could act as a starting point to the process:
Better traffic management
We all understand growing centers come at the same bundle with more traffic and parking problems. Redesigning infrastructure, adding more electrical buses, and other eco-friendly mobility alternatives can reduce the traffic. Additionally, some applications which track traffic can improve public transportation, in addition to parking applications that lead to streamlining traffic-jams at rush hours.
Shifting people data online
Displacing piles on documents with a few clicks online can make significant progress in preventing counter queues. Digitizing information can also create reports allowing more reliable results for the government, which, in turn, lead to informed administration decisions.
Greener options
From the selective collecting of rubbish to recycling jukeboxes and eco-friendly mobility options (bicycles, electric scooters) provided by the local government, all of them contribute to maintaining the city surroundings cleaner. Additionally, an urbanistic redesign of the green areas regarding new buildings can maintain an equilibrium between nature and city elements.
Creating awareness for digitalization
Not everyone is well aware of digitalization and the prospects of IT. For this reason, it is vital to create awareness by introducing new digital solutions to people. People should be trained to get maximum benefits out of IT, and they should have a mindset to adopt such technologies as a part of their daily life.
Undeniably, the adoption of technology is the principal catalyst for the development of a city. Only by collecting pertinent information, we can make excellent and impactful choices. The great news is that Smart Cities are only the opening points for building Smart Territories that serve as a center of similar communities that share intelligence and grow as a whole.
