Smart Cities — How SMART are they really?
Introduction
In today’s era where technology is integrated into every facet of our lives, the concept of “smart cities” has emerged as a promising solution to address urban challenges. From cash-free societies, orderly transportation systems and energy-efficient architecture to data-driven governance, the vision of a smart city capitalises on innovation and sustainability to increase convenience and connectivity in our daily lives. However, beneath every grand idea lies a complex web of implications, namely issues regarding facilitating the seamless integration of new technology, providing equal accessibility to all, and maintaining privacy.
Recently, as I was scrolling through the news, a headline which named my home country, Singapore, as the 5th smartest city in the world and the top in Asia, particularly piqued my interest. Although I am familiar with Singapore being a technological hub which houses a heavily digitalised society, it came to me as a surprise that we would be ranked so highly regarding that aspect. When I think about other asian cities such as Tokyo and Seoul, which are also known for being technologically advanced, I can’t help but wonder how we compare and how these rankings came about. In this post, I will expound on certain observations I have made in different cities during my travels which have helped me to realise how pertinent and noticeable the variations in technological integration and dependency across different places are, such as in their public transport systems. These observations, along with my exploration of this digital society course, have led me to ponder more deeply on the implications of living in the digital world which surrounds us today.
How Technology Enhances Experiences (e.g. taking public transport)
Compared to the struggles I faced in other cities regarding public transport journeys such as having to buy different tickets for different modes of transport, or having my contactless payments repeatedly rejected and running out of cash for physical tickets due to my (poor) developed dependence on all societies being cashless, my experience travelling in Amsterdam was hassle-free and helped me to understand why the dutch public transportation system is considered to be one of the most efficient and well-connected systems in Europe. It was so convenient being able to just tap in and out of any station or mode or transport, without having to worry about buying the right tickets, and being able to check each of my trips conveniently using the mobile application OVPay. Even when I missed a check-out for one of my train journeys, I was easily able to modify it from the application and receive the appropriate refund. This case study outlines how public transport ticketing technology in smart cities (such as in the Netherlands) has evolved over three eras: paper-based, card-based, account-based, and why such innovative solutions are more efficient, effective, and promising for a more user-friendly future.
How Technology is Not Always More Efficient (e.g. implementation issues)
Contrarily, I observed that the introduction of new technologies would occasionally cause greater inconvenience or inefficiency if not properly implemented. For example, in Milan, I observed that only certain metro gantries accepted contactless payment (which often failed to work anyway) while others only operated on physical tickets, but poor indication of which gantries were which seemed to cause greater inconvenience to metro users who were often found switching from gantry to gantry and causing congestion. In an airport I visited, when I was sent to a separate security-screening line which was piloting a new and improved 3D scanning machine allowing all items to be left inside our bags, I had expected it to be more efficient, but the line was surprisingly slower due to more bags being called aside to be rechecked for items such as liquids and electronic devices, which would have otherwise been initially removed and checked more thoroughly to begin with.
While these are not huge inconveniences, they led me to think about the greater issue of the integration barrier of new technologies in smart cities. Technological advancement is just one of the aspects to achieving a smart city, but other aspects such as strategic planning of implementation, putting appropriate systems in place and ensuring there is proper infrastructure development to accommodate technological solutions, are also crucial elements to achieving success.
How Technology Can Hinder Accessibility (e.g. the digital divide)
Another issue that comes with the pervasiveness of integrating technology into every aspect of our lives, is ensuring everyone has equal access to the benefits of these technological advancements. Inequities in access to technology, digital literacy, and economic resources create a digital divide, leaving marginalised communities behind. Affected communities include but are not limited to, the older generation, persons with disabilities, and individuals from low-income backgrounds. The benefits of technology often accrue to those who are already privileged, which only serve to exacerbate existing disparities in society. Smart city initiatives, if not implemented with equity in mind, risk widening this gap and further entrenching social stratification.
The Issue of Privacy
Last but not least, one great challenge facing smart cities is balancing surveillance with privacy. The notion of a smart city revolves around the extensive use of data and technology to enhance urban living. Sensors, cameras, and interconnected devices collect vast amounts of data, allowing city planners to optimise services, predict trends, and respond to emergencies more effectively. Traffic congestion can be alleviated through real-time monitoring, energy consumption can be reduced through smart grids, and public safety can be enhanced through surveillance systems. On the surface, these advancements seem promising for urban dwellers, but when every move we make and every transaction we undertake is potentially recorded and analysed to serve the purpose of achieving smarter operability, our privacy is sent to the backseat. While it can be argued that this data is used for the collective good, instances of data breaches and surveillance abuse raise red flags about the erosion of privacy in smart cities.
My Reflection
The idea of digital proliferation in our lives has been a hot topic of discussion for quite a while now, and I don’t suspect that it will die down anytime soon. Technological dependency has become so ingrained in our lives that I can no longer imagine a society without technology. However, it is always interesting to note how interests under this topic have shifted over the years, as the technology we are familiar with becomes increasingly advanced. In the past, the Internet of Things used to be such a marvel, and today we are stunned by ground-breaking AI technology. Going through this course helped me to reflect on all these different aspects of our digital society, and how over time things have changed, how we have progressed, and also imagine what our future could look like.
This course is not the first that I have taken which discusses the progression of our digital society. Back in my home university, I previously took a course which focused on the impacts of AI on society. By exploring a wider range of topics within this course, I was able to supplement the knowledge I had previously, and also tie in new learning to things I had learnt before, such as in my digisoc2 assignment where I focused on the applications of AI and data analytics in online advertising. This made the learning experience as a whole more enriching. I also particularly enjoyed trying to draw connections from my observations in real life to relevant topics in this course, as I have done in this blogpost, as it made me reflect more greatly on my place in the digital society I am surrounded by today. I also foresee that this will not be the last course I will be taking regarding our digital society, as it is a conversation that will continue to be important and relevant to the rest of my life, be it in school or in my future work. I look forward to seeing how these themes continue to develop and to learn even more about what our digital society has yet to offer.
Furthermore, I particularly enjoyed the modality of learning that this course undertook. I was able to explore different topics at my own pace, while still actively engaging in ongoing discussions, discovering new content as I deemed relevant, and exploring selected topics at a greater depth according to my interests. I appreciated the flexibility and autonomy in learning this course granted me, which made the learning process more interesting and enjoyable. The assessment style of writing blogposts was also surprisingly fun yet adequately challenging, as it was a form of assessment writing I had not previously experimented with but learnt to do better over time.
