It's a fact of life that most of us are going to be living in cities.
According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 68 percent of the world's population will live in cities by the year 2050.
Research by U.S.-based McKinsey & Company shows that by 2025, 600 cities around the globe will together generate 60 percent of the world's gross domestic product (GDP).
Currently, there are 29 cities worldwide with populations of more than 10 million people, and cities use between 60 percent and 80 percent of the world's energy. Lighting alone accounts for up to 19 percent of the world's electricity consumption.
To manage that many people, cities are going to have to become "smarter," and for that to happen, Internet of Things (IoT) devices are going to have to collect data, which can then be used to manage assets and resources efficiently.
Examples of smart management include monitoring and managing: traffic and transportation systems, power and water supply networks, waste management systems, information systems, schools, libraries, and hospitals.
In 2014, the U.S. consulting firm Frost & Sullivan identified eight key aspects that define a Smart City: "smart governance, smart energy, smart building, smart mobility, smart infrastructure, smart technology, smart healthcare and smart citizens."
In the creation of smart cities, Europe and Asia are out ahead of the United States. The European Union (EU) has its "Digital Agenda for Europe," which focuses on innovation and investment in Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
The smart city industry is projected to be at least a $400 billion market by 2020, and vendors are jumping on board. Companies such as Intel, Cisco Systems, IBM, Verizon, Silver Spring Networks, Build.io, GE Lighting, Ericsson, and Siemens are all promoting "smart" technology.
In 2015, the Obama administration announced a grant of $160 million for the creation of software and IoT applications that will help local communities improve their city services. In late 2016, the White House announced an investment of $80 million for smart cities.
Vendors are touting monitoring water and energy usage, reducing CO2 emissions, and creating smart lighting and security solutions. Other ideas at the forefront are fast access to traffic, parking, and road condition information.
Much of the promotional material created by smart city vendors includes the phrase: "improving the lives of citizens through technology," but it's helpful to remember that the Internet of Things doesn't come without a cost. Some have raised questions about the safety of the 5G network on which it will rely.
5G waves are ultra-high frequency and ultra-high intensity. Whereas 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G use between 1 and 5 gigahertz frequency, 5G uses between 24 and 90 gigahertz frequency.
The International EMF Scientist Appeal, a group of 225 scientists from 41 countries, has submitted a letter to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) expressing their concern that proper attention hasn't been paid to "reports of increasing rates of cancer and neurological diseases that may be caused by exposure to EMF from wireless sources."
Smart city technologies have been implemented in cities such as Singapore, Dubai, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid, Stockholm, Copenhagen, several cities in China, New York, and the English cities of Milton Keynes, and Southampton.
The Amsterdam Smart City initiative began in 2009, and it currently includes over 170 projects being developed collaboratively by government, residents, and businesses. The projects run on wireless devices on an interconnected platform, and they enhance the city's real-time decision-making ability.
Amsterdam says that its goal is to reduce traffic, save energy and improve public safety.
