Smart Cities; an Urban Environment That Yields a High Quality of Life to Its Residents

Smart cities aim to promote local area and economic development by using technologies and improving the quality of life of people, especially technology that leads to smart outcomes. A smart city uses information and communication technology to improve operational efficiency and provide a better quality of government service and citizen welfare. In short, a smart city is a city that uses technology to provide services and solve the problems of the city. A smart city is a framework, mainly composed of technologies, to develop, deploy, and promote sustainable development to address growing urbanization challenges.

It is an urban community that utilizes various forms of sensors and electronics to gather data in the form of intelligence. This data is then used to effectively manage resources, assets, and services efficiently; which in turn is used to enhance the overall operations across the city. Data collected from assets, devices, and citizens, is further analyzed and processed to manage and monitor school, hospitals, libraries, waste management, water supply, power plants, traffic and transportation systems, crime detection, and many other community services. Smart cities can be built using a number of techniques and technologies.

Smart cities use data and digital technology to create an environment where citizens can benefit from its many benefits, ensuring their safety and security. These technologies enable agencies to monitor events in real-time and react faster and more cost-effectively. Moreover, smart cities have the potential to provide societal and environmental benefits, which can be achieved with minimal investment. Despite the benefits of smart cities, they also come with many challenges. Among these are the need to involve large numbers of citizens and align the public and private sectors. Besides, smart cities must be transparent and accessible to citizens.

These technologies will allow residents to engage with data and perform tasks. A smart city also ensure environmental conservation through sustainable infrastructure development. Smart cities are being developed to improve public safety which can range from monitoring areas of high crime rates to improving emergency preparedness with sensors and other technologies. The city uses information and communication technology (ICT) and several physical devices to enhance adeptness of the city operations and services. The value lies in how this technology is used rather than simply how much technology is available.

Governments around the world are taking proactive initiatives to develop smart cities within their countries. For instance, San Francisco (U.S.) has an innovative and creative atmosphere that has led to many new smart technologies being implemented in the city. San Francisco earns its reputation of being an avant-garde city. Moreover, Dubai Government aims to make Dubai, a smart city. It is building smart sustainable cities and delivering services through apps. Many cities are in the process of making themselves smart, using data and technology to improve transport, energy use, health, and air quality or to drive economic growth.