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This post is looking at the concept of smart cities and poses the question whether it is a buzzword created by architects and technologists or it is something that will change our lives forever. Cities try to become smarter as a response to the problems created by their constant rising population and in order to achieve sustainability.
The first part of this post ‘˜what is a smart city?’ is giving examples of smart cities which are being built from scratch, such as the New Songdo in South Korea.
‘¦cities where democracy thrives will largely have to rely on ad hoc projects rather than huge projects paid for by authoritarian governments or their agencies
Yet, as all cities are not clean state projects, the second part ‘˜urban evolution’ provides examples of existing cities, which found a smart way to deal with the problems of increased mobility and high density. Rio de Janeiro in Brazil for instance, has managed, using sensors and camera feeds from around the city, to produce real-time maps and provide frequent updates on traffic, including recommended alternative routes.
…however ambitious the proponents of the smart city are, the concept means nothing without context; designing smart cities is as much about reacting to local culture, topography and even history. Creating smart cities is going to take a lot of smart people
Source: ITProPortal