Sustainable Smart Cities Part 1.

Around 1.3 million people move into cities every day. Moreover, the World Economic Forum estimates that 70% of the population will be living in cities by 2050. Therefore, the current challenges placed on municipal management are huge, namely in issues like pollution, motor traffic, housing, or access to services.

For example: Consider that in the wake of the COVID pandemic, people now want to know the quality of the air that they are breathing.

Trying to discuss Smart Cities in one article is almost impossible so I thought I would create a small series to get the ball rolling and talk about the bigger issues .

So what is a Smart city?

“a place where traditional networks and services are made more efficient with the use of digital solutions for the benefit of its inhabitants and business.”

Because urban populations will be the growing faster in years to come, it is critical to address the needs of urban people and to improve their quality of life. Sustainability, energy efficiency, and a green environment are the major aspirations and areas of focus for smart cities. There are numerous challenges, including air quality, energy efficiency, urban mobility, safety and security, that must be faced to make the smart cities concept a reality.

In this series I will also be discussing the role of blockchain and edge computing (IoT) in bringing smart cities to life. Interestingly, the major challenge faced by the smart cities is data privacy and security. So as many of my clients and students will know, blockchain presents as an ideal solution to address this challenge. In particular as a smart city uses many sensors and actuators, and it is relying heavily on the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT). To maintain sustainability and real-time deployment of smart cities the necessary factors required are secured wireless connectivity and IoT. We will be discussing IoT in more detail in Part 2. But for now, the infographic below will provide some insight into the typical areas of focus when developing a smart city.