The History of ‘Smart’ Cities
The concept of ‘smart’ is subjective, especially to variables such as context. As a WW2 history enthusiast, I recall how cities adapted in smart ways to survive and thrive.
Repurposed Buildings
Churchill’s War Bunker
One of the ways in which London became smarter was by repurposing abandoned buildings such as tube stations. Churchill himself repurposed an abandoned tube station in between Green Park and Hyde Park Corner in case the Westminster bunkers were destroyed.
The entrance of the station, just off a main road, was problematic in its design of a tube station because it was often missed by the general public. However, the same concealed entrance was an advantage in its use for secret headquarters.
The bunker was transformed into headquarters, including bathrooms, a kitchen, sleeping quarters, working rooms and meeting rooms. Because of this design, staff were able to stay in the bunker for weeks at a time.
Underground Bomb Shelters
Despite Government efforts on discouraging the use of tube stations as bomb shelters, thousands of people survived the Blitz through sheltering in Underground stations. It’s estimated that around 150,000 people a night slept in the Underground stations. People also turned sheltering profitable, with some people squatting and selling their spares in the station.
In the city of Kent, an abandoned chalk mine was repurposed into a bomb shelter, expanded and eventually turned into a city underground during the war. By the time the Blitz started, the caves had electricity, water and ventilation. It is estimated that more than 5000 East Londoners travelled to use the caves as their home due to insufficient shelter in London.
City Camouflage
Another way cities became smart during WW2 was through the use of camouflage, of shelters and cities.
One way to camouflage areas like outside bomb shelters, was through the use of greenery. People would cover the roofs of Anderson shelters with grass and grow vegetables on top. This would make the top of the shelter look like a patch of grass to bomber aircraft flying above.
A second way was through the Blackout practice. Through collectively minimising light in a city, enemy aircraft was less able to identify targets when bombing. For non-enemy personnel, city elements such as animals, pathways and roads were painted in white to maintain a certain amount of visibility.
In addition to cities, coastal regions also blacked out their lights to protect ships being seen from enemy submarines.
City Conscientiousness
Arguably a smarter city starts with its people and not necessarily ‘smarter’ technology. WW2 propaganda efforts encouraged people to become more conscientious and ‘smarter’ when using supplies. Simple actions like reducing the gas to boil a kettle meant that the fuel saved could instead go towards the wartime efforts.
Similar campaigns were employed across the pond in America, including one which encouraged car-sharing. Through people travelling together, the country could redirect supplies such as petrol, rubber and money to war efforts.
To Summarise
Cities historically have adapted from new technologies, historical events and opportunities. World War Two presented new challenges for cities around the globe. Cities had to quickly adapt to these challenges in order for them to survive the atrocities. Here we see communities of cities come together in caves to hide from bombs, cities minimising their lights using white paint instead for visibility and conscientious populations to reduce use of supplies.
Looking at cities in WW2 has allowed us to see the different ways in which cities have quickly adapted and survived through becoming ‘smarter’.
This post is part of a university project. Feel free to check out my personal blog, discussing UX design and research!
