Smart City
A smart city is a municipality that uses information and communication technologies (ICT) to increase operational efficiency, share information with the public and improve both the quality of government services and citizen welfare.
While the exact definition varies, the overarching mission of a smart city is to optimize city functions and drive economic growth while improving quality of life for its citizens using smart technology and data analysis. Value is given to the smart city based on what they choose to do with the technology, not just how much technology they may have.
Several major characteristics are used to determine a city's smartness. These characteristics include:
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a technology-based infrastructure;
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environmental initiatives;
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a high functioning public transportation system;
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a confident sense of urban planning and
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humans to live and work within the city and utilize its resources.
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A smart city's success depends on its ability to form a strong relationship between the government -- including its bureaucracy and regulations -- and the private sector. This relationship is necessary because most of the work that is done to create and maintain a digital, data-driven environment occurs outside of the government. Surveillance equipment for busy streets could include sensors from one company, cameras from another and a server from yet another.
Additionally, independent contractors may be hired to analyze the data which is then reported back to the city government. This data could then lead to the incorporation of an application development team that is hired to come up with a solution for the problems found in the analyzed data. This company could become part of the system if the solution requires regular updating and management. Therefore, a smart city's success becomes more focused on building positive relationships than on completing a single project.
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Smart city technology
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Smart cities use a combination of the internet of things (IoT) devices, software solutions, user interfaces (UI) and communication networks. However, they rely first and foremost on the IoT. The IoT is a network of connected devices -- such as vehicles, sensors or home appliances -- that can communicate and exchange data. Data collected and delivered by the IoT sensors and devices is stored in the cloud or on servers. The connection of these devices and use of data analytics (DA) facilitates the convergence of the physical and digital city elements, thus improving both public and private sector efficiency, enabling economic benefits and improving citizen's lives.
The IoT devices sometimes have processing capabilities called edge computing. Edge computing ensures that only the most important and relevant information is communicated over the communication network.
A firewall security system is also necessary for the protection, monitoring and control of network traffic within a computing system. Firewalls ensure that the data constantly being transmitted within a smart city network is secure by preventing any unauthorized access to the IoT network or city data.
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Other smart city technologies include: