Are smart cities really for the better? Promise, gaps and the problem of proof

While smart cities have boosted life satisfaction for residents in some parts of world, in others, communities don’t have access to basic resources, let alone novel technologies.

It is expected that over 70% of the world's population will be living in cities by 2050 | ANI file photo

Smart cities are being promoted as the “future of urban living”, but are they actually making our lives better?

We are already aware that our world is rapidly urbanising: we expect that over 70% of the world’s population will be living in cities by 2050 and there is immense pressure for cities to become stronger in terms of infrastructure and resources (housing, transport).

Cities are already a focal point for economic development, generating 80% of global GDP while simultaneously responsible for 70% of global CO2 emissions, according to an International Energy Agency report. As a matter of fact, Smart City programmes are part of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Smart City is basically the application of information and communication technology to urban environments in order to make them more sustainable, safe, and efficient.

Building on this foundation, in many parts of the world such as Barcelona, there is now increased connectivity for everyday life due to the deployment of smart transport systems which reduce commuting time, and smart streetlighting to ensure better safety. This increases overall life satisfaction for many residents.

This is, however not the reality in many places across the world, as in less developed countries many communities do not have access to basic resources, let alone innovative technologies, which can exacerbate the digital divide, with only certain sections of the community benefiting. While smart cities can increase life satisfaction, they also have the potential to increase inequality.

Furthermore, the economic benefits of smart cities have yielded mixed results; smart infrastructure attracted investors and spurred innovation in Singapore and in doing so, increased productivity and boosted growth, thereby leading to more jobs.

The capital investment required to implement and maintain the technology that makes a smart city work may also be very high for many regions of the world, such as developing countries, and hence cannot really compete in the smart city global economy.

In addition, the environmental effects are promising, though have again yielded mixed results. Since most global emissions come from cities, it is evident that smart energy and waste management could potentially reduce our environmental footprint significantly.

Indeed, in places like California smart grids have enabled a significant reduction in the amount of electricity wasted and led to increase in usage of renewable sources. Smart cities can help achieve sustainability goals but not all smart city initiatives are focused on environmental improvement, and many projects do not really deliver an environmental boost. Smart cities often get driven by technology alone rather than focusing on what impact they will have.

However, a more pressing concern is how smart cities manage and deal with data; privacy concerns and surveillance are increasingly issues with large networks of technology. Up to 60% of SDG 11 indicators are reported to still have no adequate data to measure progress; and it is difficult to tell if the new technologies being implemented within smart cities are actually helping or hindering human lives. This creates public trust and confidence issues with smart cities initiatives.

So, will smart cities work? The potential is there to transform city life, but only if smart cities become places that work for everyone and not just the privileged.

Shahmeer Akhlaq is a student of Genesis Global School. Views are personal.