The buzz: “Data as a Smart City Asset is an increasingly important topic” (Ruthbea Yesner, IDC). The data revolution and the competition to become the smart city of the future are combining to exponentially transform our cities. Visionary city leaders are embracing business model innovation to re-imagine public services, urban sustainability?and economic growth – all powered by data. Is your city in the running? The experts speak. Harald Wouters, City of Den Bosch: “Artificial intelligence will ...
Dec 07, 2018•55 min
The buzz: “Consumers can now make more informed choices about energy usage and become energy producers and storers themselves – ‘prosumers’” (Simon Mouat). What do clean water, affordable clean energy, sustainable cities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, and life on land have in common? United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 6, 7, 11, 12, 13 and 15 to drive sustainable development. The mandate for evolving smart cities: implement these goals and address Digital Prosu...
Nov 12, 2018•55 min
The buzz: “The reality about transportation is that it's future-oriented. If we're planning for what we have, we're behind the curve” (Anthony Foxx) . Mobility in any city moves people and goods. Mobility in a smart city has a “heart” that pays attention to congestion, air quality and the traveler’s experience. How? Data and technology – AI, ML and more – provide a glimpse of mobility now and its impact on mobility in the future. The experts speak. Ischa Lambrechts, BECI: “At any point in time, ...
Jun 18, 2018•56 min
The buzz: “The role of digital technology is critical…to monitor the wide array of aspects of city living…connecting every citizen to policy-making and administration” (Harsh Tikku). The road to a truly smart city is paved with gold in the form of technology and collaboration. How? Technology enables the smart city through digitalization of administrative processes, analytics, and visualization of information. Collaboration enables everyone in the city and its ecosystem to share information and ...
Mar 14, 2018•57 min
The buzz: “Turn up the lights. I don't want to go home in the dark” (O’Henry). When we think of a city, its nighttime skyline often comes to mind. Today, lighting is everywhere people live, work, travel, shop, dine, and relax. And it needs to meet their needs in every place. How? Digital communications and energy-efficient LED lighting are revolutionizing urban lighting infrastructures, transforming them into information pathways with the capacity to collect and share data and offer new insights...
Feb 27, 2018•57 min
The buzz: “Engaging the broad public in the city-making process leads to better answers.” (smartcitiesdive.com) In our mobile-first, digitally connected world, consumers expect to access digital services whenever and wherever they want. Citizens expect the same with city government: personalized communications based on their preferred channels, locations, circumstances. Is this possible? The smart future city will use citizen-centric service delivery models that put the citizen at the center. Th...
Jan 23, 2018•55 min
The buzz: “The truth about ‘Smart Cities’ is that there is only going to be one way that they can become truly ‘smart’: through data and analytics” (David Barton, 7 Uses For Analytics In Smart Cities). Jennifer Bachner, author of Analytics, Policy, and Governance, estimates that “2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created each year.” The real value for cities and local governments gathering data comes when analytics insights are turned into beneficial actions. But some city Chief Data Officers re...
Nov 14, 2017•56 min
The buzz: “The truth about ‘Smart Cities’ is that there is only going to be one way that they can become truly ‘smart’: through data and analytics” (David Barton, 7 Uses For Analytics In Smart Cities). Jennifer Bachner, author of Analytics, Policy, and Governance, estimates that “2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created each year.” The real value for cities and local governments gathering data comes when analytics insights are turned into beneficial actions. But some city Chief Data Officers re...
Aug 01, 2017•56 min
The buzz: “It’s simply not feasible to rip out utility infrastructure to build new…There is, however, another way..introduce a layer of digital intelligence.” (Peter Madden OBE, 07/21/16). With the U.N. forecasting 70+% of the world will live in cities by 2050, Utilities are feeling the urgency to deliver energy, gas, water, and other resources efficiently, cost-effectively and sustainably to the people, businesses, government and non-government organizations in urban areas. How to meet this cha...
Jul 11, 2017•57 min
The buzz: “Can smart cities also be safer cities?” (Safe Cities Survey, Hitachi Data Systems 2015). With 70+% of the world projected to live in cities by 2050, public safety is top of mind. But achieving it is elusive. What will it take? Blending crime-monitoring device data in real time so authorities can correlate a license plate with an incident; dynamically reposition surveillance cameras to view suspects; and intelligently predict crime, not just react to it. How safe is your neighborhood? ...
Jun 13, 2017•57 min
The buzz: “I’ll never get over the fact that the buildings all light up at night….” (Alex Dimitrov, “American Boys” 2012 chapbook). How can we brighten the lives of increasingly dense populations, given projections that 70+% of the world will live in cities by 2050? Energy-efficient LED lighting. How? It's already transforming urban lighting infrastructures into pathways that collect and share data and insights that are driving the smart city. Connected lighting also can be a backbone for IoT fu...
May 23, 2017•57 min
The buzz: “Government’s first duty and highest obligation is public safety” (Arnold Schwarzenegger). With 70+% of the world projected to live in cities by 2050, public safety is top of mind. But although today’s crime-monitoring devices are GPS-tracked in real time – video surveillance, gunshot recorders, license plate scanners – the captured data needs to be blended on a map, so first responders can predict, instead of simply react to, crime. How safe is your neighborhood? The experts speak. Ju...
Apr 25, 2017•57 min
The buzz: “Life is all about seating and lighting” (Graydon Carter). By 2050, 70+% of the world will live in cities. How to brighten the lives of concentrated populations? Energy-efficient LED lighting is transforming urban lighting infrastructures into information pathways that collect and share data and insights that drive the smart city. Connected lighting can even be a backbone for IoT functionality. See? The experts speak. Susanne Seitinger, Philips Lighting: “The proliferation of zoning re...
Apr 04, 2017•57 min
The buzz: “There are many initiatives for Smart Cities, but we also need Smart Citizens” (Ankit Lai). By 2050, over 70 percent of the world’s population will live in cities. How to meet the demands of such concentrated populations? Savvy leaders are tapping into civic innovation, hackathons for the art of the possible, and startup-in-residence programs pairing startups with government agencies. Civic Innovation is so top-of-mind, there’s an MBA for it! The experts speak. Jay Nath, City of San Fr...
Mar 14, 2017•57 min
The buzz: “Building a smart city? Follow the money” (placemeter.com). In Part 1, we explored how smart city leaders are turning to public private partnerships for resources to deliver municipal services, maintain and upgrade infrastructure, and make their cities attractive for citizens, businesses and others. What makes a good public private partnership? The experts speak. Andrew Mack, AMGlobal Consulting: “When I was a kid, there was no collaboration; it's you with a camera bossing your friends...
Feb 21, 2017•59 min
The buzz: “Building a smart city? Follow the money” (placemeter.com). The American Society of Civil Engineers 2013 report card graded America’s infrastructure D+ and estimated US$ 3.6T investment is needed by 2020. Their March 2017 report will show that traditional financing sources are often inadequate. How do City leaders find resources for municipal services? We’ll ask practitioners from public private partnerships. The experts speak. Gert Christen, City Innovate Foundation: “Managing urban a...
Jan 31, 2017•57 min
The buzz: “I have an affection for a great city” (H. W. Longfellow, 1886). News flash: By 2050, over 70% of the world will live in cities (U.N., 2014). Combined with the digital revolution, this accelerated urbanization presents cities with challenges and opportunities to meet citizens’ and businesses’ transportation, water, energy and safety needs. What do Smart Cities experts predict for 2017? Welcome to our new series. The experts speak. Marlyn Zelkowitz, SAP: “To change something, build a ne...
Jan 10, 2017•59 min
