What’s Next for Smart Cities

Cities Of The Future

Smart cities bring together infrastructure and technology to improve the quality of life of citizens and enhance their interactions with the urban environment. But how can data from areas such as public transport, air quality meters and energy production be integrated and effectively used?

The Internet of Things (IoT), could have some of the answers. Created as part of the smart technology movement, the IoT enables various objects and entities to communicate with each other through the internet.  By creating a network of objects capable of smart interactions, the door is opened to a wide range of technological innovations that could help improve public transport, give accurate traffic reports or provide real-time energy consumption data.

By rendering more technology capable of communicating across platforms, IoT generates more data that can help improve various aspects of daily life. Cities can identify both opportunities and challenges in real-time, reducing costs by pinpointing issues prior to their emergence and allocating resources more accurately to maximize impact. 

Efficiency And Flexibility

By investing in public spaces, smart cities can be places where people want to spend more time. The city of Barcelona has adopted smart technologies by implementing a network of fiber optics throughout the city, providing free high-speed Wi-Fi that supports the IoT. By integrating smart water, lighting and parking management, Barcelona saved 75 million Euros of city funds and created 47,000 new jobs in the smart technology sector.

The Netherlands have tested the use of IoT-based infrastructure in Amsterdam, where traffic flow, energy usage and public safety are monitored and adjusted based on real-time data. Meanwhile, in the United States, major cities like Boston and Baltimore have deployed smart trash cans that relay how full they are and determine the most efficient pick-up route for sanitation workers.

The Internet of Things has led to a plethora of opportunities for cities willing to implement new smart technology to improve the efficiency of operations.