Page 3 - CT Issue 21

Keys to the Smart City 2

Introduction to Smart Cities

Cities are in a constant state of flux. From population growth to
demolition of the old and creation of new infrastructure, a city
is continually evolving. Global challenges, such as immigration,
natural resource management and climate change, often manifest
themselves directly in urban environments, where fluctuating
populations and extreme weather conditions are increasingly the
norm. Many cities were built on infrastructure that was designed
for a population far smaller and far less active than they have today.
The results are traffic jams, pollution and an increased cost of living.

A city is comprised of its citizens, visitors, local businesses and to equip the city for current demands and future growth. By
government, together with the services and infrastructure harnessing connectivity, a city can benefit from both improved
available to help them go about their daily business. These services and lower costs across a myriad of domains from waste
include transport, security, communications and more. To create collection to water quality to management of deliveries and
opportunities for economic growth, a city needs to build the right authentication of citizens for smart services and travel. This will
operating environment for its businesses, engage its citizens make the city a more attractive place to live and do business,
with meaningful local services and attract new visitors and new drawing in new residents and investment.
investment into the city boundaries.
The development of IoT communication technologies, platforms
Advances in communications technologies, exemplified in the and services make smart cities easier to design, build and manage.
growth and success of the Internet of Things (IoT), create an Today’s IoT propositions have both breadth, in terms of being
opportunity for cities to manage these issues, reinvent themselves applicable to multiple markets within the smart city, but also depth
and connect both their infrastructure and their citizens together in terms of proven technologies, security and design for scalability.

IMPACT OF THE RAPID GROWTH OF CITIES

London population at a peak last seen in 1939 Forecasted increase in urban waste Recycling

8,000,000 70% DIFFERING RATES OF
2000 2025 Source: World Bank WASTE RECYCLING
6,000,000
1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020 BRAZIL 1%
SOUTH KOREA 49%
Source: O ce for National Statistics

Las Vegas population Dubai population London underground
DUBAI’S POPULATION IS GROWING AT A RATE OF
40% INCREASE 30% INCREASE
6% PER YEAR IN PASSENGER NUMBERS
2000 2015 OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS