Defining a Smart City

From transport infrastructure and service efficiencies to using data as an enabler for business, smart cities and connected technologies offer compelling benefits, writes Niall Hunt. But with a gamut of options knowing where to focus your efforts can be confusing.

Tweeting bins in Finland might be considered by some the trashy gimmick of smart city technology – despite the efficiencies they drive in refuge collection – but with examples such as the US city of Chicago’s Array of Things making serious headway into creating genuine efficiencies in city management the benefits are obvious. The question though is where to start.

Raj Mack, head of digital of the UK’s second city Birmingham, told the audience at Smart to Future Cities last month: “We need a definition about what Smart looks like. We also need to know what the outcomes are. We need to identify key strategic objectives and bring together assets to support those objectives. We need to have an integrated approach beyond systems, its about different functions working together.”

“We have made sure we have constantly dialogue with the citizens on what smart should looks like” – Raj Mack, head of digital, Birmingham

Trevor Gibson, Smart City leadership manager, Peterborough DNA added: “We have made sure we have constantly dialogue with the citizens on what smart should looks like. We use a circular city perspective, using the idea of looking about holistically at everything.”

Turning to London, Andrew Collinge, GLA assistant director, intelligence and analytics, said: “One of the things that we cannot ignore is that we have a broken data economy in the capital. If we want 21st century service, we need to get over the fact that we are 33 London Boroughs. Across these boroughs we need a more collective idea of demand for smart technologies.”

Bristol Is Open managing director Paul Wilson added: “You have to attack the topic from multiple approaches. King of all is livability, we are trying to build resilience and are trying to focus on sustainability.”

“For the big promise of a smart city, you need need a fundamental technology approach looking at connectivity in cities, because the current approach isn’t enough,” he said. “Bristol is focused on digital evolution. However, someone else from Bristol might come at it from a different point of view might focus on the people.”

Mack suggested that the “definition of sustainability has changed [for smart cities], its more about efficiency and taking a holistic view.”

Collinge agreed, citing one of Smart London’s demonstrator projects. “Transport for London has developed a system that is changing heat from the tube into power. In future we are broadening out our approach to heat and power. The whole point is trying to build out from our range of demonstrator projects,” he said.

Gibson describer Peterborough’s Circular City approach, which aims to use technology “to efficiently manage the numerous flows of resources coming in and out of its geographical boundaries”.

“We have taken a step back to see if we can use tech and data to see where we can focus, from waste to health to transport management. We looked using tech to drive that through our Living Data Portal, which business can use to share data. And its not just business we are also hoping to connect this to third sector. This will lead us to a more efficient city that is more sustainable and resilient.”

Partnerships and collaboration are also vital for smart city initiatives to work. “Bristol collaborated with the University, as well as folks like NEC. The heartland of Bristol is the council and the university and why wouldn’t you tap into business too.”

He described the creation of the Bristol Energy company ad its “smart from the start” philosophy. “The company was set up because the large energy companies weren’t doing well enough on things like renewables,” Wilson said.  “80% of Bristol Energy’s energy comes from renewables generated in the surrounding area.”

“It’s about reducing demand, asking how we can be more efficient, and asking how we engage with our partners to do that” - Paul Wilson, MD, Bristol is Open

With UK government spending under tighter and tighter scrutiny smart solutions are forcing cities’ hands, as Wilson said: “It’s about reducing demand, asking how we can be more efficient, and asking how we engage with our partners to do that. Yes it is about efficiency, it is about money, but its about doing it in an intelligent way.”

Moving to a smarter approach though has its challenges. Collinge said it is “about anticipating the future and not missing disruptive forces like Uber and Air B&B. It is also about focusing on people, which is also overlooked”.

Mack added: “[it is about] being connected at every level, allowing us to make local decisions based on local data, especially in terms of transport, housing, energy and technology. The only way we can get meaningful progress on this is with meaningful data.”

Wilson said it is on the verge of a £1 billion devolution deal for Bristol and its regions. “It’s an important thing that we devolve more,” he said. “We need to put proper powers in the hands of cities and we need to have the responsibility, tools and levers to do this.”

The definition then, while yet to be finalised, seems to be one that puts the decision-making power in the hands of the city governments. One that it driven by the needs of its citizens, services and business, rather than technology. And at the heart of it all is open data.

Source:Iot world News