Smart City

The term “smart city” doesn’t describe a sci-fi utopia. A smart city is simply one that uses technology to improve outcomes across every aspect of city operations and enhance the services it offers to its residents. It collects and uses data to drive its decision-making, and creates networks of partners among governments, businesses, nonprofits, community groups, universities, and hospitals to expand and improve its ability to serve its residents. Until recently, discussions of smart cities focused on infrastructure: big data and information technology used to better manage urban assets such as public transit, wastewater systems and roads. In many ways, this “connected infrastructure” vision represents Smart City 1.0 — physical assets networked via sensor technology that generate streams of valuable data from “smart” parking meters, streetlights, and so forth.  For many cities, this is still a powerful vision. Some more advanced smart cities have begun to move beyond infra...