Humanity is going urban. Today, more people live in urban areas than ever before, with a whopping 54.293% of the world’s population being concentrated in cities. While this has a number of economic benefits, the mass rural-urban migration has created challenges in terms of resources being spread too thin, and deepened the divide between the rich and the poor. It’s no surprise, then, that more and more countries are working towards creating Smart Cities that leverage internet and communication technologies to elevate the quality of residents’ lives and further economic growth. And as with everything ‘smart’, the one thing that has played an integral role in the development of these cities is technology.
While the impact of innovations like smartphones and the internet is widely known, up-and-coming developments like blockchain, artificial intelligence and augmented reality are playing key roles in shaping Smart Cities, and here’s how:
e-Governance
Even the most well-planned cities and countries can crumble if they aren’t backed by good governance, which, in an increasingly digital world, is synonymous with e-governance.
The benefits of e-governance are perhaps best illustrated in the case of Turkey, where the social assistance platform is used by 16 public institutions and has been found to save time and resources, in addition to boosting transparency and accountability.
mHealth
Too many people lose out on access to high quality healthcare because of geographical distance. Fortunately, the advent of mHealth is bringing people virtually closer to top-notch practitioners and facilities at the click of a button.
Healthcare helplines, e-diagnostics, mobile applications that bring medication and practitioners to a patient’s doorstep, and medical records stored on the cloud are some of the innovations revolutionising healthcare.
Open Education
Education is one of the tenets of a Smart City, and technology is revolutionising the way people learn.
Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have made lessons and professors from the world’s leading universities available to anyone with an internet connection. And that’s not all. Their voluntary nature means MOOCs help people develop and hone skills beyond what conventional education has afforded them, fostering a culture of lifelong learning.
Open Data Initiatives
So far, governments have rightfully kept data about their citizens closely guarded. And while individuals’ security and privacy are of the utmost importance, open data initiatives are gaining popularity across the globe.
Not only do they increase transparency in the functioning of a government, but innovators and academics can also learn from this data and use it to improve operations in their city.
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source http://news.statii.co.uk/how-technology-is-shaping-smart-cities/
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