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The Black & Veatch Insights Group report tries to reveal emerging issues regarding the increasing global trend of smart cities. According to this report, aspects of increased sustainability, resilience and improved quality-of-life have been identified as core elements of a smart city, paving the way for the creation of smart utilities.
These utilities will play a key role in the future, as they will be essential in urban development by achieving greater integration of smart city efforts. In the closing commentary Fred Ellermeier highlights:
For decades, utility operators, city planners, technologists and more have looked towards a future of complex, intuitive infrastructure networks and near-complete resource efficiency. As envisioned, these networks would provide optimal living conditions for increasingly urban communities, fostering new heights of economic prosperity, development and sustainability. While these smart cities of the future remain on the horizon, the 2016 Black & Veatch Strategic Directions: Smart City/Smart Utility report demonstrates that tangible progress is being made across these fronts.
More about the report here.