Through the last decade of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, we have witnessed the evolution of information technology at breakneck speeds. The phenomenon began with big businesses leading the way and adopting state-of-the-art IT mechanisms to streamline work processes in their respective industries. The ideas of swift access to information, and converging different streams of inputs onto a single platform have subsequently transcended barriers and are now available in our palms or even on our wrists. Today’s smart phones can deliver you anything from your mail or music to the fastest route to your appointment across the city, and can intelligently answer your questions (try asking ‘what are smart cities’!). The smart revolution is affecting every aspect of our lives, and since most systems in our everyday lives are already or are going to be electronic based, its scope is potentially limitless.
The big transformation of the city happened through technology. For example, in the past technology that would take away the open sewers and give us a network of roads, what is the equivalent now of those new technologies?
– Sir Norman Foster
In line with this series of transformations, it is the built environment we inhabit that too must evolve to keep up. Our cities aren’t merely assemblies of infrastructure or compilations of different buildings and places, they are in fact very dynamic organisms that need to transform with the social, economic and cultural ethos of its people. They need to respond to situations faster and more efficiently. They need to be inclusive and socially sustainable. They need to grow at par with industry. They need engage citizens and disseminate information faster. They need become more energy efficient. They need to innovate. Our cities must strive to be ‘smart cities’.
Leading the way
In April of 2010, unprecedented torrential rains had wreaked havoc in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Floods and landslides had incapacitated the city’s systems and lead to the deaths of more than 70 people. Brazilians asked why the city authorities weren’t better prepared. Today the city has a state-of-the-art operations centre, Centro de Operacoes Rio, where managers monitor dozens of data feeds for information concerning weather, traffic, police, medical services on a real-time basis and anticipate looming problems—putting defences in place to diminish their impact. By coordinating the activities of more than 30 municipal and state departments plus private utility and transportation companies, the operations centre is the first such facility in the world that is on the path to integrating all of the functions of a city in a single digital command-and-control system.
While Rio’s collaboration with IBM has shed some light on what smart cities might actually be like, one might argue that the concept is still in its nascent stages. In theory a smart city is one which ensures sustainable development and high quality of life through intelligent management of resources, participatory action and engagement, by the usage of Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure. Urban theorists suggest that the ‘smartness’ of cities may be adjudged across 6 dimensions, viz. regional competitiveness, transport and ICT economics, natural resources, human and social capital, quality of life and participation of citizens in the governance of cities. The smart city would be able to demonstrate and increment its capability in these dimensions through innovative problem solving using ICT. Having established that, it must be noted that the term refers to a rather vague idea and a city cannot be objectively categorised as either smart or un-smart. Much like in the case of the term ‘Green Buildings’, ‘Smart Cities’ too need to be understood on a graded comparative scale. Most certainly, different cities need to find different solutions most suited to their specific context and set of issues.
Smart city has become a buzzword, as policy makers around the world are pushing it as the next step in urbanism. India’s newly elected government’s pledge to create a 100 new ‘smart cities’ appears to be one of the more ambitious targets. While most existing urban agglomerations in India reel under the lack of coordination amongst stakeholders, new technologically enabled cities might be better equipped to implement inclusive and integrated growth agendas, and bring us closer to solutions of problems of urban housing and quality of life. It is to be seen whether the concept is taken forward or left simply as investor friendly jargon.
Networked infrastructure & Wireless Sensor Networks
Cities encapsulate within themselves layers of infrastructure systems and information associated with them. New age technology enables us to grab discreet data from the various sources, converge them onto a single platform, allowing the administration to understand and manage the city holistically and in real-time (as in the case of Rio). A centrally linked monitoring and security system for the entire urban area can help in reducing crime rates, averting disasters and allowing for quick response to incidents. The city might also be capable of giving useful updates to citizens, say for example location based tourist information or access to civic amenities through a city app.
It will be the capability to analyse and make sense of the data associated with the city (say using algorithms) that will truly bolster intelligent short term as well as long term decision making and planning for the city. Urban policy decisions can be better formulated with an understanding usage and behavioural patterns of communities filtered through the feeds of information gathered on a daily basis. Energy usage and footfall in public places can be monitored and perhaps energy can be saved by better management of streetlights. Perhaps even public infrastructure can assess itself and send notifications to relevant departments for maintenance and repairs. In a way the city will start responding to its situations more dynamically.
Cities are already looking at online platforms which collect data from citizens’ owned sensors (like smart phones and smart gadgets) that would enable data collaboration between diverse data sets ranging from energy and environment data to transport services. An example of such a platform is demonstrated by Google’s live traffic data updates on its map services and Android based phones. Google uses location data collected from Android phone users on the road, uploads it to a server which uses algorithms to determine where traffic is running smooth and where it is sluggish. This information shows up on your screen in colours ranging from green to red, and also allows the navigation tool to accurately determine travel times, and best routes.
Design and technology
Is it enough to just lay technology infrastructure in our cities? The key element to a city’s success is proper planning and design. Architects and urban planners need to be at the interface of technology and people, to translate collected information and mould solutions accordingly for the benefit of the community. An analogy could be drawn to an iphone; would it be so great if design was left out or separated from its functions? In a similar way urban designers need to be an integral part of the conception of smart cities to make them ‘user friendly’ and easy to engage with. The designer and the technologist working together can answer how Information Technology will empower the city, and make it a wonderful place to be in!