Top smart cities in the world and how location tech is powering them
Location is at the heart of a smart city project. At a time when cities are grappling with numerous challenges like lack of affordable housing, traffic congestion, air pollution, and ageing population, some of the smartest cities in the world have blended location technology with a human-centric approach for enhancing the quality of life of residents.
As Per the 2019 Cities in Motion Index (CIMI), introduced by IESE Business School, London and New York are the world’s top two smart cities. The index ranks 174 cities on 9 parameters: economy, governance, urban planning, mobility and transportation, human capital, social cohesion, environment, international outreach, and technology.
Most of the leading smart cities in the world are separated by thousands of miles and different time zones, ethos, culture and their own peculiar spirit and challenges. However, among all these differences, there is one commonality between these cities: use of location intelligence for optimizing performance and agility, streamlining operations, enhancing situational awareness and delivering benefits to the city dwellers.
Six of the CIMI parameters for measuring smart cities benefit from the use of location intelligence:
Environment: Just like in San Francisco, which is 21st in the index, urban planners can design models of potential buildings and predict their environmental impact. From an eco-friendly perspective, they can identify the location for green spaces or plan conservation projects within the precincts of the city. Most polluted areas in a city can also be identified and monitored.
Governance: Democratization of information along decentralization not only makes decision-making faster but also increases citizen participation. City authorities can use Geographic Information System (GIS) for sharing data widely across all departments. Los Angeles, which is at number 16 in the Index, has created a centralized information hub that can be easily accessed. City administration there also communicates with children regarding smart city initiatives.
