Standards also open the door to a larger choice of products and services. They help increase competition and foster innovation. In a systems approach they enable the integration of structures or solutions from different suppliers. Building a Smart City is highly complex. Every city faces its own challenges and requires its own mix of solutions. However, there is one common denominator that greatly simplifies this task. International Standards support the development of tailor-made solutions that can be adapted to the particular circumstances of a given city. They contain expert knowledge andbest practices, and are essential enablers in ensuring quality and performance of products and services. In addition, they drive compatibility between technologies and help users to compare and choose the best solution available.
International Standards make things work safely and smoothly together at every level in cities. They provide the foundation for electricity access andThey support the information and communication technologies that enable data collection, exchange and analysis, and information security.It is comforting to know that International Standards will support smooth and integrated Smart City development. Last but not least they provide important guidance for all aspects of city life, including energy-efficient buildings, intelligent transportation, improved waste management, building sustainable communities and much, much more. International Standards bring technological, economic and societal benefits. They help to harmonize technical and other specifications of products and services making industry more efficient and breaking down barriers to international trade. Conformity to International Standards helps reassure consumers that products are safe, efficient and good for the environment.
A city is referred to as 'smart' when it covers the aspects of smart homes, smart buildings, intelligent transportation, energy management, and security and sustainability among others, which are the ideal options for authorities and decision makers. Smart cities offer a set of infrastructure and new generation services with the support of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The concept helps the environment by reducing the amount of CO2 emissions. It aids people by saving the energy cost, making optimum utilization of natural resources effectively and efficiently. The smart cities concept also helps people in maintaining their information and data safely. There are technologies embedded with features that help identify problems at a very early stage, and subsequently improve the safety and security of people living in the cities.
If we compare smart city concepts with cities of Pakistan it does not provide a pleasant picture, the primary focus of smart city projects is on improving energy efficiency and reducing the dependence on non-renewable resources for fuel. Smart cities offer enhanced public safety and security by detecting problems early on. Between 2015 and 2050, the number of people living in cities is expected to grow highly. A majority of this growth is expected to be in developing countries includingPakistan India, China, Korea, and others. Many of the world's major cities including New York, Seoul, Tokyo, Cairo, Shanghai, Amsterdam, Singapore, Dubai, and others have embarked on the smart city projects. Continuous rise in the number of people migrating to urban areas is resulting in overpopulation in modern cities, thus, causing social, political, environmental and energy instability.
As a result of the intense urban migration the world has been facing in the last decades and with the "unplanned" development of our cities, several solutions have been developed and tested in different fields since the eighties. A consequence of this attempt to solve urban problems is the rise of the "Smart City" concept. Around the world old cities have been retrofitted and some brand new cities are being built on greenfield land, fully planned and oriented to be smart from their first draft plans. The older and more developed a city is, the more complex it is to retrofit and adapt. Emerging economies such as China and India are heavily investing in cities that are forged to be models of sustainable urban life, combining the latest high-end information and communication technologies with state-of-the- art architectural design fully integrated into ubiquitous urban environments but we in Pakistan are far behind.
A smart city is 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? the city's assets include, but are not limited to, local departments information systems, schools, libraries, transportation systems, hospitals, power plants, water supply networks, waste management, law enforcement, and other community services. The goal of building a smart city is to improve quality of life by using technology to improve the efficiency of services and meet residents' needs. ICT allows city officials to interact directly with the community and the city infrastructure and to monitor what is happening in the city, how the city is evolving, and how to enable a better quality of life. Through the use of sensors integrated with real-time monitoring systems, data are collected from citizens and devices - then processed and analyzed. The information and knowledge gathered are keys to tackling inefficiency.
"Smart" City a latest urban concept that connects different resources of a city with each other utilizing the advanced Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and IoT.
Ultimate goal of Smart City concept is to deliver highly advanced services to citizens and businesses using breakthrough technology platforms so that they can achieve sustainable growth.
Here are some revolutionary ideas in making a smart city read from the article: Enough About Smart Apps, Let's Talk Smart Cities.
Smart Transportation
It helps in reducing the traffic, easy movement of goods, and travel management for people. For example; smart traffic systems help citizens by reducing the chances of road accidents. Additionally, it also helps in avoiding traffic jams, reducing pollution, and promoting a healthier life.
Smart Data
Smart city collects the massive data related to various amenities used by the population. It allows to analyze the data quickly and has useful customer insights. Install the data on a portal and publish it at an online platform, these data can be utilized for predictive analysis to define future patterns.
Device Connectivity
The concept of smart city is based on the IoT devices. Sensors embedded into IoT devices collect the useful data that can be analyzed to gain relevant insights. With the support of IoT, complex city systems can exchange and manage the information quickly in real-time. Integration of data analytics with the system enables to minimize unintended consequences and accidents.
Smart Mobility
In order to build a smart city, seamless movement of data amongst several administrative and municipal systems is highly essential. As data is moving freely amongst the systems, it raises security, intellectual property, and privacy issues. Governments and enterprises should adopt revolutionary trends to plan out their legal technology needs and public policy.
Smart Infrastructure
Smart infrastructure offers big data analytics that helps in better planning and proactive maintenance for future. For example; you can prevent health issues growing due to water through real-time testing of lead content in the water supply. To collect the data, a smart infrastructure needs integration of big data, IoT, and various other technologies. Using the data, you can make future administrative changes.
Smart Parking
Smart parking enables the city to earn a higher profit by utilizing the same parking space frequently. The spaces can be utilized up to their fullest capacity. It also boosts the number of bucks.
Smart Waste Management
Implementation of smart waste management solution enables cities to reduce costing by installing sensors inside the bins. It helps in monitoring the level of trash in each bin. Bins can be emptied only when they are full. So, there is no need to follow any standardize process to collect the waste from bins frequently.
When the bins are full, the respective department will get notifications through the sensors. Waste collecting truck can empty the bin. This project reduces the number of waste collecting vehicles on the street on average. It obviously reduces the traffic and fuel cost.
Smart Lighting
Decrease electricity consumption using the smart lighting. Intelligent lighting control can contain dimming lights on streets without traffic and pedestrians. Many times, smart lighting systems are equipped with central management software that tracks usage and leads to maintenance efficiency.
Smart Energy
Smart energy provides deep insights about overall power consumption by buildings, commercials and residential. It helps in designing and executing various strategies to cut down power consumption. These days, few of the cities are using smart grids and smart streets. Even, smarts meters are also installed in the homes.
Integration of IoT helps cities in optimizing power production, improving grid management, and providing effective distribution of energy production. On the other hand, the smart grid allows businesses to improve data capture, grid modernization, outage detection, field operations and disaster recovery techniques.
City which has all the basic infrastructure such as 24/7 water and electricity supply, excellent sanitation and solid waste management, a very good public transport system, well connected IT Systems to promote Governance and look after the safety and welfare of the citizens. This is a smart city. For a city to become a smart city it has to be clean. Billions of liters of untreated sewage in urban areas, is dumped into rivers and lakes. This has to be stopped. An efficient solid waste management system is a must for a smart city. The solid waste is separated into organic and inorganic waste.
Smart and intelligent Transportation
Cities today depend heavily on motor driven cars for transportation. These cars release toxic gases polluting the environment. The need of the hour are electric and hybrid vehicles. These electric cars are ideal to use in a smart city. Currently these cars are a bit expensive, but with improvements in technology and battery efficiency, much is expected from them.
The Government too has to subsidize the making of these vehicles, to promote their use. Use of waterways such as rivers, lakes and the sea for transport, is the way to solve transportation woes in a smart city and take the load off road transport.
Use of intelligent traffic management systems, where the smart phone in a car can be used to provide real time data on the location and movements of the car, can help in traffic management.
Intelligent traffic lighting systems, communicate with each other through signals and adapt to changing traffic conditions, preventing unnecessary idling of cars. Use of bio fuels saves on the cost of transportation.
The concept of Smart cities is dependent on level of intelligence and commitment of government where they develop a smart city aligned with International standards and make it sustainable. Standards provide complete guidelines with suitable applications where in Pakistan can utilize those guidelines by harmonizing the standards as per our environment ,economical and cultural needs. If MoenjoDaro and Harappa were developed as Smart cities with smart planning 5000 years back why we cannot develop Smart cities where we have Standards available, all we need is just sincere commitment from Government sectors.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017