The definition of a “Smart City” varies from city to city and country to country, depending on the level of development, willingness to change and reform, resources and aspirations of the city residents. A smart city would have a different connotation in India than, say, the Netherlands. Even in India, there is no singular definition of a smart city. Broadly, a smart city would be one that uses technology to solve the city’s problems.
Three layers usually work together to make this happen. First is the technology base, which includes a critical mass of smartphones and sensors connected by high-speed communication networks. The second layer consists of specific applications. Translating raw data into alerts, insight, and action requires the right tools, and this is where technology providers and app developers come in. The third layer is usage by cities, companies, and the public. Many applications succeed only if they are widely adopted and manage to change behavior. They encourage people to use transit during off-hours, to change routes, to use less energy and water and to do so at different times of day, and to reduce strains on the healthcare system through preventive self-care.
Smart and sustainable cities remain an integral part of the goals adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, providing a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At the heart of this plan are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership. Smart cities can be essential to achieving SDG -11(sustainable cities and communities).
The logic behind the UN’s strategic adoption of smart cities is well founded. As urbanization, industrialization, and consumption grow, environmental pressures multiply. Applications such as building-automation systems, dynamic electricity pricing, and some mobility applications could combine to cut emissions by 10 to 15 percent. Water-consumption tracking, which pairs advanced metering with digital feedback messages, can nudge people toward conservation and reduce consumption by 15 percent in cities where residential water usage is high. In many parts of the developing world, the biggest source of water waste is leakage from pipes. Deploying sensors and analytics can cut those losses by up to 25 percent. Applications such as pay-as-you-throw digital tracking can reduce the volume of solid waste per capita by 10 to 20 percent. Overall, cities can save 25 to 80 liters of water per person each day and reduce unrecycled solid waste by 30 to 130 kilograms per person annually. Air-quality sensors do not automatically address the causes of pollution, but they can identify the sources and provide the basis for further action. Beijing reduced deadly airborne pollutants by roughly 20 percent in less than a year by closely tracking the sources of pollution and regulating traffic and construction accordingly. Sharing real-time air-quality information with the public via smartphone apps enables individuals to take protective measures. This can reduce negative health effects by 3 to 15 percent, depending on current pollution levels.
Specifically for India, more than 70% of the population is expected to be living in cities by 2050. The idea behind the Smart Cities project here is to provide urban citizens their basic needs in a simplified manner. With many studies revealing that even by 2030, 50 percent of India’s population will shift to an urban ecosystem, there is a pressure on the country to develop smart cities which can accommodate the increasing population against odd concerns such as climate change and resource constraints. As such, both from an environmental and sustenance standpoint, the development of smart cities has been prioritised.
However, the human element in the growth of such cities is something that has been largely neglected in the first generations of smart cities around the globe. Increasingly, cities are beginning to recognize the importance of citizens and endogenous contributors inside the city or community for the creation of solutions tailored to the needs of their residents and visitors. After all, the ultimate goal of all smart city efforts and aspirations is to increase quality of life and to ensure (economic) prosperity for all. The residents of a city or community play a crucial role in creating and implementing the right processes and solutions. Technology and data are key enablers, but without the smartness of people, proper engagement will not be achieved.
Written By – Ena Kaushal
Dhara Shakti Foundation 