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Smart Cities and the Future of Urban Living

Mar 2016 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

People walk on a bridge among giant tree sculptures in a lush park. City skyline and Ferris wheel visible in the background at dusk.
Source: Febe Vanermen via pexels.com

Smart cities promise efficiency and innovation—but how do they truly function, and what challenges must they overcome? Often associated with cutting-edge tech, real progress depends on sustainability, accessibility, and designing for all who share urban spaces. As cities grow and wildlife adapts to urban life, how can we create environments that work for everyone? From Singapore’s walkable infrastructure to Columbus’s smart mobility solutions, we explore how cities can prioritize inclusive design, digital access, and environmental sustainability. We also discuss the digital divide and the need for smart citizens to make smart cities work. Join us as we unpack signals shaping the future of urban living.




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Episode Transcript:

Raakhee: Welcome to Signal Shift, by Horizon Shift Lab. We're your hosts, Lana Price, Raakhee Natha, and Sue Chi. Each episode, we explore the latest signals in technology, culture, and society, uncovering insights that will impact our daily lives in the future. Join us as we shift perspectives, explore possibilities, and delve into real changes in our world. Curious to learn more? Go to horizonshiftlab.com.

Raakhee: Hello and welcome to Signal Shift. It's just me and Lana today. And for the next few weeks as well, Sue is away for a few months, but we do hope to have some exciting guests joining us in future episodes. So stay tuned on that. 


I think I also want to say a huge thank you to everyone for your support on our YouTube channel. We have done better than we could have imagined. So a very, very big thank you, but please go ahead and like and subscribe. We just launched last week, so it's a pretty exciting space for us to be in. 


And you may have noticed over the last few months, our episodes have been sitting within certain themes. January was focused on health and wellness, and February was about climate and disaster resilience. And in the month of March, we're going to talk about cities, housing, and migration.


Today specifically, we are looking at concepts involving smart cities or other types of citywide initiatives like hyperlocal cities or anything that has to do with cities. 


But I thought it was really important to address what a smart city is. I mean, we talk about it so loosely. And that made me realize we need to address what the term Internet of Things is. And I know, again, it's a term people use so loosely, but it's nice to just cover what that means. It was useful for me as well. 


And really, Internet of Things simply means it's the network of physical devices, whether it's vehicles or appliances, any physical object that has sensors or software and ultimately has network connectivity so that it can collect and share data with each other.


That's as simple as it is. And a lot of things, as you can imagine in our world, fits into that. So when people use that term, that's what it means, right? Now these connected devices are also known as smart objects. So your smartphone, right, is the most obvious one. And things like smart homes like Alexa or smart building devices like Nest have become very popular. Your smart watch, of course, are wearables. And this really is the heart of a smart city to a large extent.


Smart cities are typically Internet of Things powered cities. They use their technology. They use smart objects, devices, lots of automation, of course, lots of AI in the era we're in now, but smart energy transporting infrastructure as well. The whole point of a smart city is that it's efficient, it's seamless, it's integrated, connected, it's proactive, not reactive. And very, very, very importantly, the thing that we cannot forget is that it's meant to offer economic, social, and environmental sustainability. 


So it's really using technology in a way that works really well for the people inhabiting the city, right, and for our lifestyles. So if you think about it, our system of traffic lights, which we've lived with since we were children, is a really, really smart city object, right? It's just something we've taken for granted. But I still think about our traffic light systems, how it works, what it's done for our roads. That's a smart system.


On the other hand, if you think about delivery robots running around the city, if they haven't done the right way, they can actually be a nuisance, they can cause congestion and delays in traffic. So it might be something technologically more advanced, but it may not necessarily add to a smart city if it's not done the right way. It's about the totality of effects having to be smart. And why is this important? 


Well, the United Nations predicts that 70% of the world's population will be living in cities by 2050. So over the next three decades, that adds another 2.5 billion people living in major cities. And this puts a lot of strain on our resources. So yeah, there's a lot smart cities are gonna have to overcome in the next few decades. So let's discover some signals and let's talk about smart cities today.


So Lana, do you want to get us rolling?


Lana: Sure, yes. So I will add to what you're saying about the projection of populations increasing in cities. In addition to that, a recent study by the University of Washington found that actually humans and animals will overlap on nearly 57% of the Earth by 2070. And when we say animals, we're not talking about pets, we're talking about wildlife animals.


So 22,000 vertebrate species is what were included in their study. And this is some part due to climate change, but mostly due to expanding human populations, going into the areas where animals live, forests and mountains, especially in very dense populations -- China, India.


And so I think this poses a really interesting challenge for smart cities, right, and for urban planners, because we think about as we're sort of trying to live in the same areas, what does it mean to, you know -- we're going to have to grow crops, we have our urban populations, but we also need to protect species and their habitats. 


And so I've been trying to look for whether we are seeing any evidence of this happening right now. I mean, we are definitely seeing increased wildlife human interactions in cities. For example, I don't know if you saw that story a couple of years ago, but like in Barcelona, they have an issue with wild boars in the city. And I guess like, Shakira had a run-in with like two boars in a park in Barcelona and that like made the news. In Ethiopia, definitely there's a issue with spotted hyenas. And so they scavenge trash and also they're predators, they prey on animals. And so there's a lot of human-wildlife conflict with the hyenas. 


And so, you know, what I did find is the first human-animal smart city is Lucca in Italy, but they are really designing it for pets. Human and pet interaction and really designing the city for living and traveling with pets, which is another thing as we know that we like to talk about. 


So I haven't quite found that human-wildlife level of a smart city signal. But I think it's something really interesting to think about. What is our approach going to be? Are we going to be wildlife inclusive in our cities? And if so, I would imagine there's some things that we'd be more easier to accept than others. And so that was just a question that I wanted to pose and think about as we consider this topic.


Raakhee: Wow. oh my goodness. Okay. I mean, we see it, right? Like I would say in California, it's the bears. You're always hearing stories about bears. And then we always seeing people's footage of like the mountain lions coming into areas. And I think I've mentioned it on the podcast, probably on more than one episode, but we have the animal crossing that they're building as well, which, you know, that's going to be really interesting to see how are we going to… Yeah, how do we coexist with wildlife, right? It's like that is new territory. And I think I have something in my second signal of today that speaks a little bit to what you have there as well. 


But I'll go into the first signal I have. Yeah, just thinking about, there's a lot of course, that’s happening with architecture and building and, you know, thinking about the project in Saudi Arabia, like Neom, right? And, you know, all these kinds of, you know, big projects. 

Yeah, I was really thinking about, as we enter what they call the fourth industrial revolution, and there's a massive kind of skills gap, though, that we have. Is it really feels like the technology is like accelerating and going here, and it doesn't feel like people have skills and abilities for the greater, greater majority. Is it a level that matches that pace? If you think of the kind of adoption that we have to different things, I feel that it happens in smaller percentages. It's also because, of course, we are becoming an aging population. And as people become older, they typically don't want to assimilate to new systems and new ways of doing things.


It's going to be critical over the next few decades, more so than I think we've maybe understood in the past, right? Because of our reliance now, over-reliance on data, on the internet, on all these things.


So I think there's different layers, right, of access. And when we talk about this digital skills divide, some of it is access. Some people don't even have internet connectivity. But even beyond that, there's another one, which is the usage gap. So there's a real digital usage gap. Salesforce in their 2022, they did a digital global skills index. They revealed a growing digital skills crisis. And this survey was done on like 3,000 workers across 19 countries.


So a relatively robust study, right? And I think about this. I think of a 70-year-old who might live to 100 now, but doesn't know how to build a website or use social media. Fact, right? Think of a 50-year-old who might live to 100 now, but doesn't know how to use AI tools. Fact. That's what we see now. Think of a 35-year-old who may very well likely live to 100. It's very, very possible. And doesn't have the ability to critically evaluate and utilize a range of technical and digital AI tools without overwhelm and anxiety. That's also a layer of that, right? 


So I think in a few years, you know, we're all gonna need to learn how to successfully work with our home robots and something like successfully troubleshoot that device as well, right? You're gonna be expected to do those things. So there's some interim solutions that we see, but they don't… They don't necessarily make a lot of sense, right? 


And things like EU has the Blue Card program so they can bring in the skills that the country doesn't have, things like that. But what the IEEE talks about is smart citizens and saying that if we have smart cities, we have got to build smart citizens and talk about smart education. And we just spoke about education and the reform it's facing in the last few episodes. 


And this is another thing that points to it and says that we are learning archaically for where we need to be in the future. A smart citizen has got to be able to apply and manipulate and use all this data and work with data and be able to understand what information they're getting, where it comes from and what it's about to be empowered, to be able to not be manipulated or fall victim to cybersecurity issues that are also going to be very prevalent.


You know, some of the things that are happening and one of the things again that we've spoken about so often that's going to be a solution is libraries. Libraries are really a space that can be learning centers. They can have access to infrastructure and really can become digital innovation hubs. So this, you know, this institute that has been touted to disappear can really be very, very important for us in the future. And we've spoken about libraries in so many contexts, but I love this one as well.


So there's also the concept of smart libraries becoming really popular and recognizing that we need to start using them as these hubs for digital training and learning. And then one of the programs, I was really looking for something in the United States, and one of them that I found was Chicago Connected. So Chicago has a program where they provide high-speed internet access, digital literacy training, and devices as well to underserved communities.


And it's actually a loose network of about 250 places in the city where you can go and get internet and computer access, but also digital skills training. So as simple as this sounds, this is one of the most important things that all cities need to start implementing now. A smart city that actually doesn't have a digital skills up-skilling program and gives everybody access to those services and to the internet, to me, I don't know, that's not a smart city. You know what I mean? That's just gonna create more of a divide in that city, which we don't want.


Lana:  Yeah, no, I completely agree. Completely agree. Love the connection between smart cities and smart citizens, of course. I think that makes a lot of sense. And bridging that digital divide. 


Yeah, I think my other signal was actually very related, because I was also thinking about serving the needs of an aging population.


Yeah, so I was thinking about it from kind of a mobility perspective and how, you know, some of the different needs that older folks have, you know, in terms of how and where they walk, you know, walking at sort of a slower pace. They may not drive, so are more dependent on public transportation. Vision, especially night vision is an issue. You know, wanting to, needing to take breaks while walking. So benches and seating are important and shade. So there are a lot of things in terms of design and urban planning that are important for meeting their needs. 


And, you know, I think we're seeing a couple of different innovations. One, was Columbus, Ohio is actually doing a lot of stuff in smart mobility. And so they have autonomous shuttles that they're piloting, which offer door to door transportation. So that helps bridge the gaps for folks who have limited mobility. 


They also piloted an app which I thought, I really appreciate the level of detail in this. It's for those who have cognitive decline, like let's say you suffered from a stroke or a brain injury. And so this app helps people navigate public transportation by themselves. So it promotes independence. And one of the issues is that folks either get on the wrong bus or they get on the bus and they don't know, like they have trouble keeping track of which stop to get off.


And so it's this really detailed step-by-step instruction, but also a connection with their caregiver so their caregiver can monitor sort of as they're navigating the system. And so, you know, I think that level of really thinking about the user experience and connecting, as you're saying, the technology, right? You know, between sort of like the phone, the app, the bus, and really kind of making it more usable. 


Another design feature that I really liked was a smart bench, but it is adaptive in terms of it'll raise and lower because people have trouble sitting and standing and making that transition. And as someone who recently had an injury that was, I really had difficulty. Both standing up, making that transition between standing up and sitting down. I was like, this is really, really, I just appreciated that level of thought and care, right? And intentionality that goes into designing a smart bench that meets those needs. 


And so, yeah, I think that's, you know, I do see some connection between, you know, sort of what we're talking about. Just being cognizant of, you know, on both ends, right? Who's going to live in the cities? And then where are the places where we're going to live? And how do we need to upskill and be active participants in that?


Raakhee: I love that. Smart bench is so cool. And I'm like, how have we been living without Smart benches to date? Yeah, think, again, just highlighting, I think, with our signals today, Ilana, that it's not really about shiny buildings and who builds the tallest building, right? It's about how do we design for the lives of the people who inhabit a city? And to make that really good for them and to cater for their needs. And I think everything you spoke about really, really speaks to that. 


And I'll say I'll go into my signal. It's highly related. And it's pretty much about the fact that I think I was like, hmm, what should a smart city be for me? And the one big thing was the digital divide. And that issue came up for me. But the other one that came up for me is that a smart city has to be walkable.


I am not much of a driver, as you know myself, and I walk everywhere. And it's critical for me that a city has that, both from a health perspective, on a mental and a physical level, because it's really important to get outside, where I can get that sunlight and see the green. 


So I looked at a country that is one of the leading ones as a smart city, which is Singapore. To see what they're doing and what makes them such a great, smart city. And there were three really cool initiatives that they have around walking and how they're enabling that in the city that I thought were definitely things we could learn from and are very easy to implement in our cities across the world. It's nothing revolutionary. It's just smart design that caters for the needs of people. 


And one is a district or area called Health City Novena. And it's basically a 17-hectare sort of health care precinct. And it's got hospitals, it's got a hospice, neuroscience clinic, skin center, all those things. So a lot of people working there, there's about 30,000 daily commuters who access this place, right? And what they've done with the design is to create a very holistic and sort of an ecosystem in essence of connecting all these ways in ways that it is walkable. This kind of, know, all the buildings are linked at different levels, whether it's the ground, the street, the basement, the sky bridges that are built to ensure privacy, and it's also hospitals. So you have to have that. But they've really made like these public walkways, these streets, these boulevards that people can easily sort of traverse and walk through. In fact, they have trails.


So if you want to just say, oh, I need a break today, let me take this trail around this massive property where you work, those sorts of things are encouraged. It's got these pillars of, there's got to be connectivity, there's got to be care, community, all those things have to come first in how they're designed and how people come together in this space. And 50% of all of it is green spaces. That's the other commitment that they've made. So simple, nothing too crazy, but just designed really well.


Another initiative that they have citywide is called the Walk, Cycle, Ride initiative. So it's a very, very clear, pronounced strategy by the city to say, we want to promote all of that. Right. And ride in this case means public transport. So we want to promote walking, riding and public transport above cars always. And we're going to set the city up to do that. They are taking the kind of reclaiming the streets. And they're saying we're making broader pedestrian walkways. And we're going to kind of narrow the streets. And kind of narrowing the streets, widening pedestrian walkways. More benches, like you mentioned, so people can sit, stop, more links so people can walk a part of their path and get the bus if they need to get the train and really thinking about all those linkages so you can get through the whole city without ever needing a car. And that it should still be a really good experience. It should be safe and efficient as well. And so a big focus on that, but also more cycling paths and creating a full cycling network within the city.


Simple things, right? But they're actually doing the practical work of implementing these strategies in the city, which, you know, that's where the work comes in. 


And then the third one, the last one, which linked a little bit to, you know, your wildlife concept and, know, how do we live amongst the wildlife. And it's something called, it's called Tenga. It's a forest town. It's an area that they're calling forest town. And again, they're prioritizing walking and driving. In fact, the town center, all the streets will be underground, so no cars in the actual city center. Lots of space for community gardens, but they are going to have a hundred meter wide forest corridor that's going to run through the center of town. That's going to connect a nature reserve, a water catchment area, and it's going to offer safe passage for wildlife, but also recreational space for residents. Now I have no idea how this is going to work.


Because the idea of living amongst lions or tigers or whatever it may be really petrifies me. But I mean, based on the signal you shared today, it was a real aha for me. I'm like, wait, we're going to have to somehow live amongst wildlife, right? So yeah, I think we see that kind of happening. Don't know how it's going to, you what does it look like practically? Really want to watch. But all the stuff around walking.  And more green spaces that are walkable, I think was the second signal that I had.


Lana: Wow, it sounds pretty amazing. And I'm imagining, I guess I'm assuming, I don't know if this is a good assumption, that they'll also, that like in all that walking is also accommodating folks who might have like, you know, limited mobility, but can still access sort of all of those paths. You know, even simple things like having a ramp, right, versus stairs, which I think is already pretty common, but yet surprisingly not ubiquitous. 


So yeah, I think that all sounds magical. So I've never been to Singapore, but I would love to kind of see all of that in action, especially I am with you on the wildlife corridor, like curious how that's gonna play out.


Raakhee: Yeah, I think I would just, you know, in kind of wrapping up today, I hope anyone listening, what you're left with is really understanding that I think sometimes we see a lot of stories that paint the concept of smart cities in very unrealistic ways and very, you know, just stretching imagination beyond.


But a smart city is about that economic, social and environmental sustainability for its people. It's got to be a good city to live in for all of us. And I think that can be simple things, you know, which means we all can play a role in our city meetings, city council meetings, to bring up these simple ideas like, hey, can we walk more? Can we add more trees? You know, it's the simple things. And are we taking care of all our residents? You know, is there enough access for people with differing levels?


Of mobility and what about the wildlife? How are we going to take care of the wildlife? And come on, give us more access to digital training. Simple things, but make a profound difference to our quality of life. So I think I'm leaving today with certainly a different perspective when I think smart city and what really makes a city smart.


So Lana, thank you so much. Thank you everybody for listening. I hope you found this one interesting. Let us know your thoughts and you can drop a comment on YouTube now. So it's pretty easy. drop us your thoughts there and we will see you again next week. Bye for now.



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