Four Stars On The Global Stage

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To that end, the best smart cities have distinguished themselves because they leverage their technology in concrete ways to improve quality of life. Which characteristics make them stand out? The Juniper Research/Intel report highlights four crucial categories: mobility, health, safety and productivity.

Most cities lag behind in these areas, as indicated by a 2018 Forbes Insights/Intel survey. When asked to assess the “smartness” of their city across these four areas, executive responses showed room for improvement. On a 1-to-5 scale—1 being “not smart at all”—here’s how many rated themselves as 1 or 2: mobility (19%), health, as measured by air quality (21%), safety (24%) and productivity (21%).

Despite these numbers, the survey also suggests 2018 as a crossroads in the smart city movement, as an overwhelming majority, 64%, rated their city overall as a “3” on the five-point scale. This suggests that, to some extent, respondents believe their city’s current IoT solutions are working well and improving the quality of life for their citizens.

Yet what will it take to turn a potential turning point into a tipping point? Here’s a look at what makes four top-rated cities stand out. All serve as role models: not just on a global scale, but right down to the very human level where individual lives are impacted for the better.

1. Singapore (population 5.8 million): A matchless model of smart city technology, Singapore finishes number one in all four Juniper Research ratings categories: mobility, health, safety and productivity. The city-state now depends on Internet of Things technology as a 24/7 problem solver and life enhancer for its infrastructure—with the charge led by the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO). Singapore has tackled its considerable traffic challenges through connected transportation solutions. Its Intelligent Transport System (ITS) has given rise to a pioneering system of electronic road pricing, where open-road tolls rise as traffic surges. ITS also allows for real-time traffic information delivered through GPS-enabled taxis, and it integrates the public transportation structure while also making buses more punctual. Meanwhile, citizens can check in on Singapore’s progress and current technologies, in areas from green buildings to interacting with government agencies, through its Smart Nation Singapore
2. Chicago (2.7 million): This midwestern metropolis has quietly asserted itself as a smart cities leader, finishing number three worldwide in Juniper/Intel’s productivity category. Smart cities can give their residents back 21 hours annually through efficiencies made possible by digital channels and IoT networks. And Chicago’s showcase innovation, its Array of Things project, is giving that time back in part by timing traffic lights during peak traffic hours to reduce congestion. A collaboration of scientists, universities, local government and communities, the Array of Things collects real-time data on the city’s environment, infrastructure and activity for research and public use. It passed the 100-node mark in May, and a month later, this smart cities project landed at Wrigley Field, where Array of Things sensors were installed to measure sound levels, weather and fan satisfaction (though Cubs fans remain content to count the home team’s home runs on their own).
3. San Francisco (871,000): You’d expect the heart of Silicon Valley to showcase the latest in forward-thinking high tech, and San Francisco ranks as a top 10 global smart city in every major category. Yet a draft version of the city and county’s strategic smart cities vision shows a decided focus on improving quality of life as opposed to focusing on tech. Here is how the paper describes the city’s core values: “Our service is grounded in respect, dignity, embracing diversity, care, empathy and inclusion.” On the healthcare front, smart cities technology helped San Francisco create a life-saving Heat Vulnerability Index. A project of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), the index collates massive amounts of data from satellite imagery, temperature readings and data sets based on culture, behavior and other demographic characteristics. The SFDPH also has a Neighborhood Health App that uses 23 open data sets, collected from federal, state and local agencies, as well as private data feeds, to rank the health of city neighborhoods. Through the app, residents can see how their neighborhoods rank on things like public safety, school quality, crime rates, air quality, walkability and access to public transportation.
4. London (8.8 million): Second only to Singapore, London excels in every smart cities category. In healthcare, for example, London has applied a broad strategy that runs the gamut from bicycle sharing (also found in Chicago) to direct-to-consumer telehealth technology. Launched last year, the GPS-enabled telehealth platform has been so wildly popular that it has attracted more than 26,000 members as of spring 2018, with 4,000 new members signing on monthly. And along with New York City, London is conducting a major rollout of connected sidewalk kiosks, which will replace existing phone booths. These smart hubs will offer residents free Wi-Fi access, device charging and tablets with maps and city information.

Does your city belong on this list? Even if it hasn’t taken its first step in the direction of smart technology, it can definitely emulate these leaders. For as even the smartest smart city visionaries will tell you, the race isn’t a competition: It’s about cooperation. City by city, we can dramatically improve the lives of people across the planet with thoughtful smart city implementation focusing on what matters most—people.

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It takes smart planning to build a smart city—a seamless synergy of high-tech experts, business visionaries, academics and, above all, forward-thinking civic leaders. Yet before the first sensor is locked in place or the first network switched on, the build must gravitate around the most precious resource of all. A recent study by Juniper Research and Intel puts it best: For all the dissections and analyses of what makes smart cities great, “they do not sufficiently account for the most important part of the city itself: its citizens.”

To that end, the best smart cities have distinguished themselves because they leverage their technology in concrete ways to improve quality of life. Which characteristics make them stand out? The Juniper Research/Intel report highlights four crucial categories: mobility, health, safety and productivity.

Most cities lag behind in these areas, as indicated by a 2018 Forbes Insights/Intel survey. When asked to assess the “smartness” of their city across these four areas, executive responses showed room for improvement. On a 1-to-5 scale—1 being “not smart at all”—here’s how many rated themselves as 1 or 2: mobility (19%), health, as measured by air quality (21%), safety (24%) and productivity (21%).

Despite these numbers, the survey also suggests 2018 as a crossroads in the smart city movement, as an overwhelming majority, 64%, rated their city overall as a “3” on the five-point scale. This suggests that, to some extent, respondents believe their city’s current IoT solutions are working well and improving the quality of life for their citizens.

Yet what will it take to turn a potential turning point into a tipping point? Here’s a look at what makes four top-rated cities stand out. All serve as role models: not just on a global scale, but right down to the very human level where individual lives are impacted for the better.

1. Singapore (population 5.8 million): A matchless model of smart city technology, Singapore finishes number one in all four Juniper Research ratings categories: mobility, health, safety and productivity. The city-state now depends on Internet of Things technology as a 24/7 problem solver and life enhancer for its infrastructure—with the charge led by the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO). Singapore has tackled its considerable traffic challenges through connected transportation solutions. Its Intelligent Transport System (ITS) has given rise to a pioneering system of electronic road pricing, where open-road tolls rise as traffic surges. ITS also allows for real-time traffic information delivered through GPS-enabled taxis, and it integrates the public transportation structure while also making buses more punctual. Meanwhile, citizens can check in on Singapore’s progress and current technologies, in areas from green buildings to interacting with government agencies, through its Smart Nation Singapore
2. Chicago (2.7 million): This midwestern metropolis has quietly asserted itself as a smart cities leader, finishing number three worldwide in Juniper/Intel’s productivity category. Smart cities can give their residents back 21 hours annually through efficiencies made possible by digital channels and IoT networks. And Chicago’s showcase innovation, its Array of Things project, is giving that time back in part by timing traffic lights during peak traffic hours to reduce congestion. A collaboration of scientists, universities, local government and communities, the Array of Things collects real-time data on the city’s environment, infrastructure and activity for research and public use. It passed the 100-node mark in May, and a month later, this smart cities project landed at Wrigley Field, where Array of Things sensors were installed to measure sound levels, weather and fan satisfaction (though Cubs fans remain content to count the home team’s home runs on their own).
3. San Francisco (871,000): You’d expect the heart of Silicon Valley to showcase the latest in forward-thinking high tech, and San Francisco ranks as a top 10 global smart city in every major category. Yet a draft version of the city and county’s strategic smart cities vision shows a decided focus on improving quality of life as opposed to focusing on tech. Here is how the paper describes the city’s core values: “Our service is grounded in respect, dignity, embracing diversity, care, empathy and inclusion.” On the healthcare front, smart cities technology helped San Francisco create a life-saving Heat Vulnerability Index. A project of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), the index collates massive amounts of data from satellite imagery, temperature readings and data sets based on culture, behavior and other demographic characteristics. The SFDPH also has a Neighborhood Health App that uses 23 open data sets, collected from federal, state and local agencies, as well as private data feeds, to rank the health of city neighborhoods. Through the app, residents can see how their neighborhoods rank on things like public safety, school quality, crime rates, air quality, walkability and access to public transportation.
4. London (8.8 million): Second only to Singapore, London excels in every smart cities category. In healthcare, for example, London has applied a broad strategy that runs the gamut from bicycle sharing (also found in Chicago) to direct-to-consumer telehealth technology. Launched last year, the GPS-enabled telehealth platform has been so wildly popular that it has attracted more than 26,000 members as of spring 2018, with 4,000 new members signing on monthly. And along with New York City, London is conducting a major rollout of connected sidewalk kiosks, which will replace existing phone booths. These smart hubs will offer residents free Wi-Fi access, device charging and tablets with maps and city information.

Does your city belong on this list? Even if it hasn’t taken its first step in the direction of smart technology, it can definitely emulate these leaders. For as even the smartest smart city visionaries will tell you, the race isn’t a competition: It’s about cooperation. City by city, we can dramatically improve the lives of people across the planet with thoughtful smart city implementation focusing on what matters most—people.