The development of pragmatic smart
cities that effectively connect citizens, government and business in an
empowering manner is no easy feat. That is because the construction of smart
cities is costly, takes a lot of time and is highly complex. Any such project
needs to be studied carefully by a multi-disciplinary group of experts to
properly develop a comprehensive plan of action that considers all actors,
processes and interactions. In my book, The Inevitable Digital Future: A World
of Smart Cities, which is available for free in Arabic and English, I highlight
shortcomings of the preceding smart city implementations and what lessons we
can take to ensure the development of future ones.
We are amazed
everyday by new inventions and developments that fill our lives, allowing us to
organize and manage our lives in much more effective ways. Technology has provided
a more efficient means to analyze data and perform jobs with much higher degree
of accuracy and with greater precision, to the extent that many professions are
now being completely overtaken by technology.
In the
context of smart cities, intelligent machine technology can handle and analyze enormous
amount of data and countless pieces of information, leading to more informed
decisions using real time data; something that is impossible for humans to
achieve. We are therefore, in need of experts who understand such technology
and have the ability to harness it in order to identify patterns in data which
can be used by relevant authorities to improve a multitude of services in our
cities.
Internet of
Things (IoT) sensors and AI systems could be used for example in exploring intelligent
transportation solutions to traffic jams by analyzing road and weather
conditions, driving habits, traffic hotspots and other live data to
intelligently reroute drivers.
Such systems could
be used to develop intelligent road monitoring that provides proactive advice
to drivers regarding parking spaces, oncoming hazards and even smart street lighting
systems that alter the level of illumination in line with traffic/weather
conditions.
Smart waste management
is also possible, including the monitoring of waste containers, arranging
garbage collection frequency, tracking waste levels, and guiding trash
compactors’ to areas where they are most needed.
Smart systems
to provide a safer city for citizens can also be achieved through the use of
sophisticated cameras and AI software that monitors crime across a city to
proactively alert law enforcement of where intervention may be required.
Other examples
of smart living include the health care devices at smart hospitals that can
monitor patients remotely, follow up on the delivery and administration of
their medicines, monitor stocks of the hospital pharmacies and accurate locate expensive
medical equipment.
There are
countless other examples of smart city applications that can help us develop
truly smart living. If we do not start to transform our cities into smart ones,
we will fall behind and fail to reap the reward that technology brings. We must build the relevant smart infrastructures,
develop capacities, train our employees and our citizens, and be willing to
adopt new ways of improved living to tackle the sustainable urbanization challenges
that all our nations face.
We must exert
our best efforts to learn and train on an ongoing basis. In addition, we have
to recognize the importance of rehabilitating our cities and elevating them to the
level of the world’s best smart cities.
Let us get ready,
start our engines, and prepare ourselves to develop smart living for our
nations. It is either this or we get left behind and watch as others continue
to progress while we stagnate and feel pity for ourselves!