Page 36 - Seniors Today - August 21 Issue
P. 36
Tech4Seniors
How smart can
cities be?
More than resources and technology, it is the capacity to adapt that makes a
city smart, writes Sandeep Suri
You may have heard the term ‘Smart cars, give ‘early warnings’ on drainage
Cities’, often used by our political leaders, overflow, prompt you to go to your
media, and local authorities. It is usually favourite mall when the fresh stock of your
quite a familiar term with people who favourite doughnuts arrives, and many
toil in a few selected fields in the urban more.
landscape. Still, on the other hand, it could Most smart cities focus on infrastructure
be employed in multiple ways and could coupled with big data and Information
risk becoming an empty slogan due to its technology used to manage better urban
overuse. assets such as public transit, wastewater
Rapid urbanisation is putting tremendous management systems, roads, etc. The term
pressure on the administration to offer smart typically denotes physical assets
the best public services to its citizens. It connected to the Internet of Things via
presents a challenge for cities to provide sensor technology, generating valuable
environmental sustainability and ensure data streams: intelligent parking meters,
residents’ physical security and safety. smart streetlights. A smart city uses
Most thriving cities seek sustainable technology to provide services and solve
growth along with innovative solutions. the challenges the city is facing. Say, for
So, let us understand some of the features example, a smart city could resolve the
that make a smart city really ‘smart’! The transportation and accessibility issues,
ever-increasing focus on technology is improve social services, help build
the critical differentiator that makes these sustainability, and so on. It is usually
cities’ efficient’. Thus, a Smart city could developed keeping in mind the ‘well-being’
turn waste into energy, have driverless of its citizens.
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