Why Bill Gates’ Smart City Could Be So Brilliant

Having traveled all around the world, I see city problems on a regular basis. Some of the common ones:

• An outdated infrastructure. Go to developing cities and the wires in buildings and near power lines are scary to look at. And you can clearly see problems with sewer/water systems, roads, and more.
• Development mismatch. Real estate prices are often sky-high and cities aren’t approving new developments in enough time. City planners tend not to be very good economists.
• Building infrastructure is outdated. Many buildings that were built decades ago aren’t equipped with the most modern styles, amenities, and structural requirements. You might see a really old, ugly building on the exterior and renovations on the inside.
• Hazards. Cities can be filled with health hazards. The most obvious is pollution and this gets especially bad in the developing world. But there’s more. Lead paint, asbestos, sewage, and other bad things are all over the place.
• Outdated management. The way many things work is clearly outdated. The electric grid. The traffic system. Law enforcement controls. Bad or corrupt city contracts. Lack of accountability in providing services. Debt and financial mismanagement.

Many cities function perfectly well despite all these issues. But they are running FAR below their potential. And with most of these things, there’s not much that can be done to overcome such problems.

Now compare some of these realities with all the “smart city” talk. Technology can help develop and manage a city in various innovative ways. It ends up sounding quite appealing when you dream of a fully modernized city.

However, trying to get a current large city to adopt the best technology is near impossible in many regards. They already have existing infrastructure and institutions and can’t readily change them.

Think about it this way…

• A European city like Barcelona or Prague has buildings that have been around for centuries. And the infrastructure isn’t going to change either. You can’t just tear up historical buildings or infrastructure (streets, pipes, underground tunnels, etc) to implement something better. People live and work there, while much of the city’s charm is in its history. They can implement small changes but the general city is untouchable.
• Developing cities like Saigon or Mumbai have had such large population growth and development. They are these monsters of their own success where city planners can’t keep up. So you get mass pollution and other side effects. Trying to do a small construction project is hard enough. Imagine trying to implement large changes.
• Cities like Chicago or Sao Paolo are established city structures with entrenched communities, politicians, and more. And they might have financial obligations that make them incapable of enacting changes (no matter how nice they would be). Good luck trying to implement anything of substance in large cities. The bureaucracy is just too large to contend with.

So are all these smart city predictions just dreams? No. Enter Bill Gates.

Imagine you can create a city from scratch. You don’t have any of these constraints. You can hire the best city planners to optimize everything. The optimal business district. The optimal living quarters. Outstanding roads with minimal traffic and great public transit. Buildings will be new and modern, with optimal infrastructure to support technology needs. Even the political structure can be organized to fit a modern world.

Bill Gates bought this land near an existing metro area (Phoenix) and in an area with desirable weather (although summers are quite hot). Some people have noted that water is an issue in this geography. But when you are starting from scratch, technology can do some wonderful things. Now to be fair, we don’t know whether Gates wants to build a true smart city or if there is a different purpose to the project. But the potential is certainly there.

Tech enthusiasts dream of building a tech-centric city from scratch. The possibilities are endless:

• Sensors to control pollution, traffic, and more
• Modern design and architecture
• Powered entirely on alternative energy sources and using green building standards
• Fit for ideal transportation. This means the right infrastructure for autonomous vehicles, drones, and other paths for biking, walking, etc
• A better system for waste removal
• Perhaps conducting politics in a digital, transparent way
• Much, much more. Use your imagination

This is entirely possible. Las Vegas and Dubai were constructed very quickly and in the middle of deserts. They are now thriving, modern cities and have a great mix of business, residential, and tourist activity.

Bill Gates or other wealthy investors/corporations would be wise to try this. Who wouldn’t want to live in an optimally planned city for modern times? When a company like Amazon is looking for a second headquarters, why not create one from scratch? Build the city entirely around your needs! It’s bound to happen sooner or later. And if you start competing with these other overpopulated, poorly managed, and sub-standard infrastructure cities, you’re bound to “win” that battle.

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