Urban data platforms (UDPs) are helping smart cities to evolve. These platforms serve as the supporting pillars for many smart city applications. They can map, combine, and store data from a wide range of sources, and process them to help form practical solutions to city-wide problems. Urban data platforms are an important part of any smart city ecosystem, taking data from government sources, private enterprises, NGOs, and members of the public, to help provide data-driven solutions that benefit everyone.
Topic: smart-city-strategy
9 MIN. READ
The Benefits of Urban Data Platforms for Smart City Development
By Joe Appleton on May 17, 2021 1:12:05 PM
Topics:
Smart City Strategy
Smart City Development
Internet of Things (IoT)
Artificial Intelligence
Urban Data Platform
Big Data
9 MIN. READ
Sustainable Cities Depend on Smart Ecosystems
By Jon Glasco on Apr 8, 2021 9:30:00 AM
During the coronavirus outbreak in Amsterdam, city leaders took steps to help citizens at risk of isolation due to lockdown measures. As part of the city's "Everyone Connected" project, an ecosystem comprised of local technologists and civil society groups cooperated to deliver refurbished laptops with Internet connectivity to low-income, elderly and other citizens with below-average digital access. This is an example of a local ecosystem responding to an urgent situation that threatened to exacerbate digital and social exclusion. Smart city ecosystems are vital in implementing sustainable solutions and responding to a crisis.
Topics:
Smart City Strategy
Technology
Smart Collaboration
Smart City
Sustainability
11 MIN. READ
Rising Asian Stars: Smart Cities in Asia to Watch in 2019 - Part 1
By Lily Maxwell on Jun 19, 2019 2:02:08 PM
There were an estimated 47 megacities in existence in 2017, and the majority were located in Asia. The region is facing urbanization on a scale far beyond that of other regions, with an estimated 1.1 billion moving into Asian cities in the next 20 years. Many Asian countries are also in areas that are prone to extreme weather patterns or natural disasters, and this is only becoming more of a problem with climate change. Cities across the continent urgently need to prepare for serious population growth, and the strain it will place on their public services, and the risks that environmental changes pose. For this reason, becoming more resilient and ‘smarter’ is inevitably at the top of most Asian cities’ political agendas. In this article we are going to explore some of the Asian cities investing in becoming smarter and more sustainable in order to make their citizens safer and happier.
Topics:
Smart City Strategy
Smart City Solutions
Smart Living
Smart Government
Smart Mobility
Smart City
Internet of Things (IoT)
Smart City Initiatives
Climate Change
11 MIN. READ
Rob van Gijzel on the Importance of Smart Cities & Smart Citizens
By Lily Maxwell on Jun 10, 2019 8:12:22 PM
Rob van Gijzel, the former Mayor of Eindhoven and current Chairman of the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) Foundation in New York and National Ambassador for the Blockchain Cities Coalition speaks about the importance of smart cities and smart citizens.
Topics:
Smart City Strategy
Smart City
Sustainability
Intelligent Community Forum
Urban Innovation
Blockchain
Future Cities
Smart City Initiatives
10 MIN. READ
Smart Cities and the Promise of Innovation in Public Services
By Jon Glasco on Apr 10, 2019 10:47:47 PM
There was a time when bells in town squares warned citizens of impending danger. Today, the bells ring again in the form of studies and media reports with warnings about urban problems that plague modern cities and resist solutions. Meanwhile, increasing numbers of people move to cities in pursuit of a higher quality of life. This is the story of cities: Citizens with big expectations versus the endurance of big city problems. It is a still-unfolding story with numerous villains: social inequality, traffic congestion, pollution, crime, unemployment, lack of affordable housing, aging infrastructure, public service shortfalls.
Topics:
Smart City Strategy
Smart City Solutions
Smart Government
Smart City
Urban Innovation
Future Cities
Digital Transformation
Digital City
Smart City Initiatives
Smarte Verwaltung
5 MIN. READ
10 Ways to Envision a Smart City
By Mike Barlow and Cornelia Levy-Bencheton on Nov 23, 2018 3:55:12 PM
What is a smart city and how is it different from our traditional notion of a city? There is no single definition for a smart city. The term itself is a moving target and every city is different.
That said, here are 10 ideas that can help us envision and define the smart city concept:
Topics:
Smart City Strategy
Smart City Solutions
Technology
Smart Collaboration
Smart City
Urban Planning
17 MIN. READ
Jonathan Reichental on the Importance of Smart Cities & Smart Citizens
By Lily Maxwell on Oct 10, 2018 12:00:29 PM
The importance of smart cities & smart citizens: In our new interview series, smart city leaders comment on the future of smart cities, the role of technology, and the benefits for citizens. In our first interview of the series, we have asked Jonathan Reichental, CIO of Palo Alto, California to share his expertise, thoughts and insights with us on a number of important smart city topics.
Topics:
Smart City Strategy
Smart City Solutions
Smart Government
Smart Environment
Smart Mobility
Innovation
Smart City
Smart City Technology
Smart People
Smart Cities
Future Cities
Procurement
11 MIN. READ
How to ensure that your smart city strategy is inclusive
By Lily Maxwell on May 15, 2018 3:54:12 PM
Many proponents of the smart city claim that it is by nature inclusive. However, like all other aspects of urban design and development, smart city initiatives frequently fail to fully prioritize inclusivity, often perpetuating the very issues that they aim to solve. As Gil Peñalosa, world-renowned urban designer, noted in a recent panel discussion on ‘The Invisible Smart City’: “we currently design our cities as though everyone is 30 and active”, leading to biased, inaccessible urban design that excludes what he calls the ‘silent majority’. Going one step further than this, Yves Raibaud, acclaimed sociologist and urban geographer, argues that cities are designed ‘by and for men’ (par et pour les hommes) - notably ‘western’, privileged men. This evidently leaves much to be desired in terms of diversity, and in turn inclusivity. Children, older people, women, ethnic minorities, the disabled, the mentally and physically ill, and people with low household incomes (and those who meet at the intersecting points between these groups) are frequently excluded by and from urban design, unable to fully enjoy or participate in civic urban life or the processes that shape it.
12 MIN. READ
How Smart Cities save Governments, Businesses and Citizens Money
By Lily Maxwell on Apr 18, 2018 3:21:12 AM
Around the world, cities are growing. Already, roughly 180,000 people move into cities every day. By 2015, the UN estimates that there will be 22 metropolitan areas with populations of more than 10 million people. Growing urban populations mean more costs for cities - from increasing energy use to overstrained public services - but they also provide a stimulus for innovation. After all, we can’t infinitely expand outwards and upwards. Instead, we need to find ways to be more ‘efficiently urban’: in other words, we need to be smarter with how we use our resources, time and capital.
Topics:
Smart City Strategy
Smart City Solutions
Smart City Development
Smart City
Smart People
12 MIN. READ
The 6 Key Benefits of Transforming a Municipality into a Smart City
By Lily Maxwell on Apr 2, 2018 12:41:44 PM
By 2050, it is estimated that roughly 70% of the world’s population will live in cities. With more citizens to serve and
a climate that is rapidly degrading, public service efficiency and effective resource usage are becoming pressing issues for cities.
Big tech companies talk a lot about
how the solutions to these issues can be found through their innovative new technologies; however, while technical tools are indeed necessary, cities should ensure that their smart city strategy is holistic, multifaceted and, most importantly, citizen-centric, if they want their efforts to bring fruitful results. A contextually adapted and citizen-centric approach, using both human and technological resources, can bring multiple benefits for municipalities, particularly those that are struggling with specific problems - such as inefficient waste management systems, lack of civic participation, or traffic and congestion. In this article, we take a closer look at the advantages of smart city development and lay out the six core benefits of smart cities.
Topics:
Smart City Strategy
Smart City Solutions
Smart City Development
Smart City
Smart City Technology
Smart People