Smart a$$ cities

If you made it to CES this year, you would think that Smart Cities are ubiquitous already — an inevitable collision of technology and urban infrastructure. But the reality is less rosy as most US cities suffer from budget constraints, security concerns, and a general lack of resources whereby even maintaining basic infrastructure is difficult. Hello, San Francisco Muni and NYC MTA! As such, even the most vocal government advocates are presented with significant obstacles when they actually try to implement connected city and advanced livability solutions. Cost is often an inhibiting factor for smart city initiatives, but with the help of public-private partnerships, some municipalities are able to make better progress.

Here are some trends that we hope will take shape in 2018:

• 5G technology will bolster sensor capabilities and improve connectivity among our IoT gadgets. Existing devices like public safety cameras will be able to work more easily and efficiently, enabling municipalities to introduce new offerings like autonomous vehicles.
• Lack of Electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure is a huge impediment to EV adoption and also a huge friction point for EV owners who have trouble finding accessible charging outlets. However, as municipalities pass new regulations that require EV infrastructure construction in new residential and commercial developments, this will change. TEQ Charging is tackling this issue by reducing the cost of EV infrastructure hardware by moving it to the cloud.
• City-wide digital platforms that can collect, synthesize, and analyze data from different sources will make cities stronger and more intelligent. Edge computing will also enable faster data processing at the source and therefore allow for more precise impacts.
• Greater real-time citizen interaction with government through personal wireless devices will be driven by new collaborative tools like real-time video and data sharing, and basic AI.
• Microtransit will gain more traction. City governments are starting to recognize the convenience and efficacy of ride-sharing technology by integrating it into their existing transportation systems. Municipalities in California have partnered with TransLoc for a rideshare/transit hybrid, and Phoenix partnered with Lyft to transport riders to and from bus stops.
• Cybersecurity​ will be at the forefront of policy agendas since more connected devices will render networks vulnerable to cyber attacks. A data breach at the municipal level could possibly result in power outages or jeopardize sensitive data about millions of people.