How smart cities are revolutionising urban living
It’s no secret that the world is becoming increasingly urbanised - it has been predicted that around 68 per cent of the world’s population will be living in inner city areas by 2050.
Although this is fantastic news for investors, it puts a huge amount of strain on the existing infrastructure and reduces the quality of life for the inhabitants. There is also the issue of pollution and shrinking green space. There is, however, a solution to tackling the rapid rise in urbanisation and that solution lies with technology. Often referred to as ‘Smart Cities’, this type of technology aims to enhance the quality of urban services by using internet of things (IoT) infrastructure and 5G communications.
This technology has already been piloted in the South Korean cities of Sejong and Busan. Funded by the Korean Government, newly developed districts have already introduced the world’s first commercial 5G network which has not only created impressive download speeds of up to 700 Mbps, but is also reliable enough for new types of applications such as autonomous transport. The city of Busan will also be home to the new ‘Eco-Delta City’ which is a new, eco-friendly approach to urban living. Located in the northwest of the city, this new district will offer renewable energy sources like hydro-electric power and a smart water and energy management to ensure that residents will have purified water straight from the tap.
Not only will these cities create a better standard of living for their growing populations, they will also provide plenty of opportunities for investment. These cities will create an environment where SMEs and start-ups can flourish, including those from Europe. European companies will also have the benefit of large subsidies and tax breaks if they choose to invest in South Korea’s Smart Cities.
Closer to home, Spain also has a network of smart cities that include Barcelona, Santander and the capital, Madrid. Technology is going to be used to improve traffic congestion, pollution and public service. These cities are taking a unique approach by focussing less on how much data is collected and more on why the data is being collected - the priority is to make sure that the technology is citizen-centric.
There are also similar plans in place for many UK cities. Manchester city council has worked with the University of Manchester, Cisco, BT and Siemens to lay the groundwork for long-term planning and development of IoT within the city. MediaCityUK in Salford has also had a new 5G network introduced. However, Bristol is the city that has really made a name for itself in Smart City technology, even overtaking London. The project that is being carried out by Bristol city council is allowing local businesses to test new technologies in real world situations and has fibre networks installed in the ground, as well as a heterogeneous network that allows for 5G testing.
The worlds’ population is set to reach 11 billion by the end of the century, which means that cities need to take such measures to make sure that infrastructures can be run efficiently and that residents can maintain a high standard of living.
