Wikipedia defines a smart city as “an urban development vision to integrate multiple information and communication technology (ICT) and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions in a secure fashion to manage a city’s assets”.
If you unpack this definition even further, it becomes evident that, first and foremost, a smart city is all about improving the citizen’s quality of life. And, if we dig even deeper, we realize that the core of ICT and IoT systems is data. As such, the dawn of the digital age - including cost effective computing, connectivity and sensors - has fueled the smart city revolution and is creating opportunities to improve the standard of living of the average citizen.
Already, we are seeing the impact that the digital age - and data - is having on our daily lives. Data tells us when the next bus will arrive. Data tells us what routes to avoid during our morning commute. Data tells us how deep the queue is at the local emergency room. And this is just the beginning.
For decades, if not centuries, governments at all levels have been collecting data. In aggregate, this data defines every aspect of how a city functions, reacts and behaves. In many ways, this data forms the vital signs of the city.
In the hands of a skilled analyst, it not only helps us understand the cause and effect of certain outcomes, it can also predict future outcomes which provides us the opportunity to take proactive measures to ensure the best possible outcome.
Prior to the digital age, this data has been trapped in documents and paper files. Imagine what can be accomplished when digitized open city data is put into the hands of skilled entrepreneurs who have access to big data and IoT toolsets.
It’s time to realize that open data is at the core of a strong and effective smart city strategy. Don’t miss out on one of the greatest resources the digital age has to offer.
