The population of cities around the world is increasing, and cities are struggling to cope.
As a silent force transforming the world, technology is now being used to manage the rapid urbanization process and create smarter cities.
The infographic provided by Raconteur explores how the Internet of Things (IoT) can be an important part of creating a more efficient, sustainable, and resilient city, and shows the growing impact it will have on people and the planet.
Growth of smart cities
Since 1950, the urban population has increased nearly sixfold, from 751 million to more than 4 billion in 2018, more than half of the planet's population. Over the next 30 years, cities are expected to add another 2.5 billion people.
This continued migration to urban areas has put greater pressure on public services and urban planning. As a result, cities are implementing technology and data-driven solutions to alleviate the additional pressures of this growth.
Smart city innovation
By 2022, smart city development spending will reach US $ 158 billion, and emerging innovative technologies are expected to achieve significant growth, such as:
▲ Police wearable devices:
Equipment that provides police officers with real-time information to raise awareness and make better decisions.
Global compound annual growth rate (2017-2022): 62%
▲ Vehicle to Everything (V2X) communication:
Allow cars to communicate with other cars, transportation infrastructure, and pedestrians.
Global compound annual growth rate (2017-2022): 49%
▲ Open data:
Data is accessible to anyone, helping to increase transparency in government and smart city programs.
Global compound annual growth rate (2017-2022): 25%
▲ Smart garbage collection:
Solar-powered, smart bins with sensors allow the garbage collector to track garbage levels and optimize fuel use.
Global compound annual growth rate (2017-2022): 23%
▲ Smart city platform:
Systems that collect data from different regions, such as pollution levels and traffic density, to better manage smart cities.
Global compound annual growth rate (2017-2022): 23%
These technologies may have a wide-ranging transformative effect on cities willing to accept them.
Measuring impact
Smart city technology has the ability to improve citizens' health and well-being, while also providing new avenues for economic development.
▲ Safety
To enhance public safety, cities are using real-time crime maps, gunshot monitoring, and predictive police tools to help identify potential hot spots and prevent crime.
McKinsey believes that using these technologies can reduce crime and deaths by 8-10%. In cities with population and crime rates similar to Rio de Janeiro, 300 lives could be saved each year.
▲ Transportation
As more and more vehicles join the IoT ecosystem, the scale of the IoT logistics and transportation industry will grow larger, and it is expected that by the end of this year, spending will exceed $ 43 billion.
New innovations such as smart roads that support self-driving cars are starting to get more investment from cities. These roads will be able to communicate with automated vehicles to ensure driver safety and better optimize traffic-with the potential to reduce the average commute time by 30 minutes.
▲ Health
Technology provides new strategies for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.
For example, in some countries, drones with facial recognition technology are being used to track people infected with coronavirus to ensure they do not break the quarantine and risk transmitting the virus.
However, the most effective use of technology is data-based maternal and child health interventions, which rely on the use of analytics to identify expectant mothers and guide them in prenatal and postnatal education activities.
These new technologies are reducing the burden of chronic diseases in cities. This is measured by the World Health Organization's Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY), which refers to the total number of healthy life years lost from onset to death. For example, the use of data-based interventions in maternal care can reduce DALY by more than 5%.
▲ Environment
Although a large portion of greenhouse gas emissions come from cities, smart city solutions can reduce these emissions by 15% by reducing electricity and heat production.
Smart cities will also play a key role in reducing water consumption. Applications such as smart irrigation systems, water leakage, quality and consumption monitoring can save 25-80 litres of water per person per day in the city.
Citizen-led Smart City
The increasing popularity of 5G will help drive these economic and social benefits. With its high-speed connectivity and the ability to support more devices, 5G can expand the scale of smart cities, making it an important feature of the next generation of innovative smart city projects. However, this is not the only mode available.
Some of the latest versions of smart cities are based on the principles of fairness and social inclusion. For example, Vienna often tops the smart city index for its inclusive and collaborative approach to smart city initiatives. (From the House of Things) The city advocates socially balanced solutions and considers citizens of all socioeconomic backgrounds and age groups.
Vienna is just one of many European hubs that are leading the way in a large number of smart city project investments. In fact, by 2025, as many as 53 million active IoT connections are expected in continental Europe.
Although each city has a different strategy, citizens will be their most important asset. As a series of exciting new smart city applications become the new normal in the next decade, it is clear that humans will be at the core of realizing their true potential.
