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Zoe Green, in the Global Urbanist online magazine, argues that although the ‘smart city’ concept has existed for several years, but only now, with some trial and error, are we seeing the real fruits of these efforts coming to light. While the ambitions of Masdar City have been scaled back somewhat, Amsterdam is forging ahead, piloting a number of schemes to introduce smart technology to the way energy and other resources are managed within the city.
In her article, Zoe Green, a chartered planning consultant with Atkins Ltd, writes about the ‘smart city’ concept and the efforts in Masdar City and Amsterdam to create a smart city with the use of new technologies.
Mrs Green concludes that
The transformation of our cities into ‘smarter’ and more organised places is not an overnight process, requiring a step-change not only in their management but also in the way people engage with them. It will involve the development and use of sustainable technology, the creation of intelligent networks, but also the support of residents, public authorities and private business. This will require strong public-sector leadership and incentives for collaboration during these groups, which may be financially unrealistic in the economic climate. It is however promising to observe that some global cities such as Amsterdam are taking the opportunity to make ‘smarter’ steps towards their future.
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Through trial and error, ‘smart cities’ are slowly getting smarter | The Global Urbanist