The “watch-outs” for Smart Cities

In an era where the advancement of technology has translated into incredible breakthroughs, and just like with everything good in life, there is a “dark side” to it that has to be taken into consideration. And with the transformation of cities into smart ones, there are a number of things to look out for, along with key learnings to implement, within strategies that can diminish the side effects. 

Smart cities have doubtlessly changed the lives of their citizens for the better, but have also brought to the surface new issues and privacy concerns that must be adequately addressed by leaders worldwide. The use of technologies such as AI or IoT is eliminating a range of urban problems and is pushing for smart governance, but along with it, smart cities have raised questions regarding a number of issues, such as invasion of privacy, poor data security, sustainability, and more. Such issues can easily lead to mistrust in the system and threaten the prosperity of a smart city project, but their analysis can also provide new learnings and key solutions for city administrations.

Let’s take, for example, the lack of public awareness and knowledge for many citizens when it comes to modern tech and applications in their cities. Many countries only have small segments of tech-savvy populations. Here, communication and education are key, and are an opportunity to better involve your citizens.

Weak infrastructure and budget management are another problem. Governments spend billions on smart tech and networking equipment, but constant maintenance, upgrading, and hiring the right professionals can sometimes prove to be problematic and expensive. All these aspects must be taken into consideration from the start of the smart city project’s planning phase.

But perhaps one of the biggest issues raised by the ongoing development of smart cities are where data privacy and security are concerned. Smart cities collect huge volumes of data through the likes of cameras and sensors, which can make citizens feel exposed - and such data and insights into people’s lives can cause serious harm when falling into the wrong hands. This is something that, understandably, gives citizens an uneasy feeling in an era where cyber-crime is rampant. As such, how this data is gathered, handled, and protected has to be a top priority in our times.

All these issues and “watch-outs”, along with key learnings from past and ongoing projects, can provide a strong starting point for any smart city project. Raising new issues that require adaptive solutions and strategies, and sharing this knowledge as we work towards building a stronger and smarter Europe, is key for the ongoing development of our cities, ensuring at the same time that we have the support of the citizens that live in them. On the bright side, being able to identify problems and their potential solutions is already half of the job done.