What is a smart city? | CNBC Explains

Smart Cities

Smart cities use technologies such as sensors, cameras, connected devices, and data platforms to improve services ranging from transport and utilities to sanitation and public administration.

Examples

• Singapore: Launched in 2014, the Smart Nation program uses monitoring systems to detect issues such as smoking in prohibited areas and littering, and to track crowd density, public cleanliness, and vehicle movement. The data is intended to feed into Virtual Singapore, a platform that gives officials a real-time view of city operations and may help model scenarios such as crowd responses or disease spread.
• Dubai: The Smart Dubai Initiative has introduced more than 50 services from 22 government entities. The Dubai Now app lets residents pay fines and utility bills, book taxis, track packages, renew vehicle registrations, and report violations.
• Barcelona: Smart streetlights adjust their brightness based on activity, parking sensors help drivers find available spaces, and underground pneumatic waste systems transport rubbish. These systems can reduce truck noise, costs, and odors. A research estimate cited in the video says they could save the city billions of dollars annually.

Costs and Potential Savings

The video notes the trade-off between long-term savings and upfront investment. It cites a forecast that smart-city initiatives could save cities nearly $19 billion by 2021, while the global smart-city software market could attract $15 billion by that year.

Source

Speaker: Uptin Saiidi, CNBC International.