Smart Cities Aren’t About Technology
In all the talk of smart cities, we tend to get lost in the jargon of how sensors, algorithms, and data analytics promise to reshape our cities into orderly, efficient machines. But cities are far closer to living, breathing organisms than programmed computers. Data is an important element in creating healthy, livable, and green urban environments, but if it’s the only thing we focus on then it means that we aren’t thinking about smart cities in the right way.
Smart cities aren’t about technology, really. At their core, smart cities are about people. Technological advancements in urban planning and design are useless unless they serve a purpose to people. It’s important to remember this when debating the merits of “smart” versus “livable” cities since, while they may initially appear at odds with one another, in reality they are more alike than many assume.
Reading Development 