[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2018\/01\/23\/smart-city-to-future-city\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2018\/01\/23\/smart-city-to-future-city\/","headline":"Smart City to Future City: Addressing the 21st century urbanization challenge","name":"Smart City to Future City: Addressing the 21st century urbanization challenge","description":"Cities around the world are competing on the global stage for investment and top talent. By becoming a smart city, they become more appealing.","datePublished":"2018-01-23","dateModified":"2024-07-22","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/kathleen-obrien\/#Person","name":"Kathleen O'Brien","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/kathleen-obrien\/","identifier":186,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/72f7fa9cf9e1d1b295291ef942468ef6be3c09be53c3f854d30750e4844ebb28?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/72f7fa9cf9e1d1b295291ef942468ef6be3c09be53c3f854d30750e4844ebb28?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/thumbnail-99044d9dcf997132a1006837535994d7.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/thumbnail-99044d9dcf997132a1006837535994d7.jpeg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2018\/01\/23\/smart-city-to-future-city\/","video":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HSI9FU72PHs#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HSI9FU72PHs","name":"The Key to Building a Smart City","description":"In the near future, most of the world's population will live in cities, posing both challenges and opportunities at unprecedented levels. But what is the fundamental success factor to urban development and growth? Experts from the smarter cities in the world agree: Citizen engagement always comes first.\n\nDiscover more about the Smart City revolution: https:\/\/www.sap.com\/industries\/smart-cities.html\nMake sure you check out the SAP Newscenter to stay up to date: https:\/\/news.sap.com\/","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/HSI9FU72PHs\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/HSI9FU72PHs\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/HSI9FU72PHs\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/HSI9FU72PHs\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/HSI9FU72PHs\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2017-11-24T13:49:48+00:00","duration":"PT1M49S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HSI9FU72PHs","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCy4kQ_03bhe5PQZVJvCkTKA#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCy4kQ_03bhe5PQZVJvCkTKA","name":"SAP TV","description":"We've moved! Follow us on SAP YouTube: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL3ZRUb1AKkpQiIENb-Z9i1hFO2OpMbdt5\n\nThere we'll continue to take you behind the scenes at SAP, letting you learn more about the company, its people, its products and its customers. SAP TV keeps you up to date on the latest events, IT trends and innovative solutions from SAP. Be sure to subscribe to keep updated on our latest videos. \n\nTo contact the SAP TV team, please send an e-mail to saptv@sap.com\n\nSAP privacy statement for followers: www.sap.com\/sps","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/odm_pftZ3xIlJqcRJvi4I8geAPoZ6r1llbkDjrlnYqrEOtVSY-Vyg2GehTMxnCHRUb8pFukF=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HSI9FU72PHs#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HSI9FU72PHs#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HSI9FU72PHs&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HSI9FU72PHs#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":1607}]]},"about":["Construction + Real Estate",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/marketing\/customer-engagement-marketing\/","name":"Customer Engagement","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_engagement","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q5196451"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/","name":"Customer Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_experience","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q984142"]},"Government + Public Sector","Industries",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/public-sector\/","name":"Public Sector","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Public_sector","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q294217"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/sustainability-in-business\/","name":"Sustainability in Business","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sustainable_business"]}],"wordCount":1085,"keywords":["Big Data","Digital Transformation","Public Sector","Smart City"],"articleBody":"Every community and municipal government around the world faces a growing set of challenges as they transform in the 21st\u00a0century to improve peoples\u2019 lives.With more and more of us living in cities, urbanization is creating significant opportunities for social and economic development and more sustainable living \u2013 but it\u2019s also exerting significant pressure on infrastructure and resources and potentially opening the door to escalating social inequality.The rise of the cityProjected future growth of urban areas is a looming area of concern for government planners.According to the United Nations, more than 54% of the world\u2019s population now resides in urban areas \u2013 a figure set to rise to 67% by 2050.And these urban centers are becoming increasingly important drivers of national and regional economic growth. Indeed, the McKinsey Global Institute estimates the top 100 cities in the world already account for 38% of total global gross domestic product (GDP), with the top 600 cities generating 60% of global GDP.Clearly, with cities around the world competing on the global stage for investment and top people talent, harnessing the true potential of urbanization to boost shared prosperity and eradicate extreme poverty depends on having a clear and long-term vision.Evaluating the challenges of future citiesIf cities don\u2019t work for investors, employers and citizens alike, then the interconnected flows of trade, capital, people, and technology will stall. Planning and developing the urban eco-system \u2013 including managing the impacts to rural areas that get absorbed into the expanding urban area \u2013 is just the start.To address a range of infrastructure, transit, utilities, and connectivity challenges, city administrators will need to harness data-driven intelligence to identify appropriate priorities and ensure overall liveability for all residents.But that\u2019s not all. To counter the multiple social challenges arising from urbanization, they must ensure that data sources – which today mostly sit in silos across agencies and departments and commercial third party providers – can be brought together seamlessly. Only then will they be able to ease citizen burden through the delivery of predictive services – getting the right services to the right population cohort, at the right time.Little wonder then that many municipalities are embracing the \u2018smart city\u2019 concept. But the definition of what a smart city is, or should be, varies significantly.For some, it\u2019s about using technology to optimize city operations and urban flows. For others it\u2019s about initiating smart governance where policy making is more flexible, practical and closer to citizens \u2013 enabling experimentation, open dialogue and fast-paced adaption in which policies are \u2018initiated from below, and diffused by example\u2019.Building smart communitiesSome technologically advanced cities are using Internet of Things (IoT) platforms to monitor city infrastructures \u2013 managing everything from traffic flows and parking to water and air quality \u2013 and using the resulting smart data generated to tackle longer term planning decisions around environmental sustainability.For others, the focus is on initiating digital business transformation and smart city initiatives designed to attract businesses and individuals with talent. In other words, making their city a prosperous place that\u2019s both liveable and workable.By contrast, the Indian government\u2019s ambitious \u2018Digital India\u2019 mega plan to develop 100 smart cities across the country is motivated by a desire to offer sustainability in terms of economic activities and employment opportunities to a wide section of city residents, regardless of their level of education, skills or income levels.Clearly, the smart city is a broad concept that\u2019s high on everybody\u2019s agenda, but what are the characteristics that define a smart city?      Imagining life in a Future City: Stats, engagement, urbanization                Recognizing the key challenges within a Future City can help us build a better tomorrow, today.      What makes a 21st century city a smart city?In the broadest of terms, I believe a 21st century smart city uses digital technology to:Promote performance and wellbeing and increase its ability to respond to city-wide and global challengesEnsure its critical infrastructure is safe and economically sustainable and public service offers are more interactive, transparent and responsiveBring together people, processes, and technology to enable a holistic customized approach that accounts for their city culture, long-term planning and citizen needs.Looking beyond the technology, the vision of the smart city needs to be one that all stakeholders can make their own. Achieving consensus with the local population and business community will be the key to improving transparency, communication and partnerships. As our Key to Building a Smart City video shows, experts working to build smart cities around the world are in universal agreement that stakeholder engagement is a crucial first step that cannot be ignored.To this end, cities will need to study their citizens and communities at a fundamental level, creating policies and objectives that truly meet identified needs. Only then can technology be implemented that improves quality of life and creates real economic opportunities.Whatever the drivers to initiating a smart city initiative, and there are many, the foundation for the smart city of the future will be the collective intelligence it can harness. That means having the ability to intelligently connect people, things, and businesses.      The citizen experience gap: How cities of the future can thrive                To close the citizen experience gap, cities must become solution-enablers, allowing businesses and citizens to access and share data to co-develop\u00a0new, better ways of living and working.      Developing a smart city policyClearly, every city is different and will face a unique range of urbanization challenges. Defining smart city goals and objectives begins with a deep understanding citizen and business needs and a community\u2019s unique attributes \u2013 its demographics, infrastructure and resources.Engagement with all stakeholders is the critical initial point for jump starting smart city programs.After which, cities will need to harness real-time urban intelligence to power their smart mobility, energy, utilities ,and city commerce programs. Connecting all their smart urban applications and scaling these with ease.As cities of the future define what urban life will mean for those who live and work in their municipalities, they will need to reconcile conflicting economic, environmental and social goals. And while facilitating digital infrastructure is important, it is the ability to truly connect with residents on a personal level that will support an open society and spur ideas, entrepreneurship, innovation and growth that will make the sustainable future city an achievable reality.  Every digital moment matters.Are you making the most of them?1,000 business leaders dish on how to stand out from the crowd with a great CX. Get the details\u00a0HERE.\u00a0"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2018","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2018\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"01","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2018\/\/01\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"23","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2018\/\/01\/\/23\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Smart City to Future City: Addressing the 21st century urbanization challenge","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2018\/01\/23\/smart-city-to-future-city\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]