Smart city and its benefits

A self explanatory view of a smart city.

What is a smart city?

A smart city is an urban area that uses different types of electronic Internet Of Things (IoT) sensors to collect data and then use insights gained and manage assets, resources, and services effectively. It includes data collected from citizens, devices, and assets which are processed and analyzed to monitor and manage transportation systems, power plants, utilities, water supply networks, waste management, crime detection, information systems, schools, hospitals, and other services.

The Smart City concept integrates information and technology ICT and various physical devices connected to IoT networks to optimize the efficiency of city operations and services and connect to citizens. A Smart city allows city officials to interact directly with community and city infrastructure and monitor what is happening and how the city is evolving.

Main characteristics are needed to determine a city’s smartness.

• A technology-based infrastructure;

• Environmental initiatives;

• A high functioning public transportation system;

• A confident sense of urban planning.

• Humans to live and work within the city and utilize its resources.

These are the solutions provided by researches that should be adapted to make it successful.

How smart cities will change the way of living?

Work and employment in smart cities: Smart cities are the gateways to the future. With the adaption of 5G and other superior ICT technologies, IoT, and the concept of connected devices, all public department work in smart cities is expected to be run using automated and mission-critical technology like smart water and natural resource conservation, transport mechanisms, and consolidation of the payment system.

Though the above technology can get better at its job by applying machine learning concepts, the need to develop, test, deploy, and maintain this technology will be more than ever. With skilled professionals and advanced computer and electronic degrees entering the Smart city deployment and maintenance space. Transport mechanisms and consolidation of the payment system.

It requires all government officials, police force, dispatchers, and truck drivers to be tech-savvy to some extent to understand how to operate the underlying systems. It also requires a battalion of software professionals to maintain and fix issues.

Smart cities and companies need technology professionals to function. They also need the infrastructure so that those professionals (humans) can do their jobs.

Some of the Smart city jobs available today include:

Robotics specialist

Cybersecurity analyst

Machine learning scientist

Industrial network engineer

Data scientist

Business Transform Practitioner

The demand for these Smart city jobs is so great that cities are going out of their way to attract more STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and creative people. All this means increased employment opportunities if you have the right skills. Cities and companies need people to plan and implement their Smart technologies.

Crime: According to sources, the most successful Smart cities are those that are utilizing the gathered data to predict and prevent crime and terrorism. They are strengthening the connected infrastructure that is a key to establishing a secure urban environment. Smart cities are enhancing security features by reinforcing policing, artificial intelligence gathering, community outreach, and investment in technologies that improve urban safety. Their approach is data-driven and problem-oriented proves speeding up the decision-making process.

Real-time Data And Autonomous AI Collaboration

Gunshot detection systems, CCTV, crime-mapping platforms, and advanced lights are some of the technologies used to gather data in the present time. But what makes sense out of this data is handled by autonomous AI. In other words, using the data, the next-generation AI can build a profile of an individual that reports on how likely a person is to commit a crime. When the risk is high, the police take preemptive measures. It is known as hyper-surveillance and the future of predictive policing.

Hence, if city governments, private corporations, and civic groups have access to real-time data, smart cities can get better at predicting and determining crime before it occurs.

The tools that prevent crimes are not just connected to Cloud but also running off deep neural networks. It is further helping city authorities in reading license plates, running facial recognition, mapping crime, terrorist networks, and detecting suspicious anomalies.

Police, emergency, and counter-terrorism responders should be entertained like ‘fusion centers’ that run multiple datasets from across a broad range of sources — starting from city sensors to cybercrime systems in private corporations.

These facts and figures are taken from internet. Copyrights are reserved to its owner/publisher.

What government of Pakistan should do to promote the infrastructure of smart cities?

The need for the developed systems and technologies that help city governments to manage urban centers better and serve the citizens is becoming crucial over time.

Arshad Rafiq, Team Leader at Leadership for Environment and Development of Pakistan, says satellite-based mobile technologies and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are the most promising technologies and are available in developing countries. Since, he says, Pakistan has one of the highest levels of mobile phone penetration; this strength can be capitalized on to promote the concept of smart cities in the country. The example of some of the municipalities in western countries can also be followed. They have joined hands with technology giants like Cisco and Google to introduce smart technologies for better connectivity of cities.

However, he also gives a word of caution. Regarding the usage of technology for economic growth,

Arshad Rafiq further said that Pakistan has to move cautiously as the wave of technology can also result in a reduction of job opportunities, income disparities, and social exclusion.

We need a more job-oriented economic growth with a focus on manufacturing and agriculture rather than simply the automation of its economy.

Lack of awareness of automated machines, knowledge of smart city projects, lack of consensus on the right model for smart cities in Pakistan’s socio-political context, social acceptability, and livability, and sustainability concerns are given a resource-constrained environment. Lack of integration with other urban sector programs, lack of a cohesive roadmap, process and scale of the Smart Cities Program, funding strategy, program design that is part and parcel of smart city transformation should be ended and enhanced.