Who Really Benefits From Smart Cities?
Definition
The European Commission defines a smart city as “A place where traditional networks and services are made more efficient with the use of digital solutions for the benefit of its inhabitants and business” (EU, 2006, p.n/s).
Figure 1,Smart City (N/S 2021)
Introduction
This Blog will pose a seemingly innocent question: who actually benefits from smart cities? Is it the people who dwell within them or the governments who control them? Data is everything today. Superpowers aim to control it, and companies pay to learn from it. The smart city is a place where data is endless. The smart city has become a powerful invention, and like the harnessing of the atom, there are both positive and negative side effects. I hope to share a balanced argument, looking at both sides of the coin.
Figure 2,Smart Lights (N/S 2020)
A Friendly, Safe Productive City
Smart cities utilise digital technology to create an environment that adapts to change and alters its output depending on demand. Take a traffic light as an example. A regular light is on a timer, and its output will never change even when demand is high. A smart traffic system can connect to the cloud and use cameras and visual learning to change when the lights go green, helping to reduce congestion and air pollution and make a more productive city. Smart technologies are being pushed by companies and governments worldwide to improve our quality of life and help the environment.
Smarter cities are safer cities. In London for every ten people, there is one CCTV camera, meaning there are an estimated total of 942,562 cameras in London (BSIA,2020,P.n/s). According to the police college, this reduces crime by 14%. CCTV isn’t the only smart technology used to make our streets safer. 5G allows people to communicate more easily, and governments can alert citizens to potential threats. Smart Lighting uses bright, efficient LED and motion sensors to light up the darkest areas of our neighbourhood, helping to create security and reduce energy consumption.
Smart systems are aimed to improve our lives by helping to improve safety, health, and comfort. Siemens Building Systems are a key figure in the smart market, claiming to create an artificial womb that is “never too hot, never too cold, never too loud or too quiet and always safe” (Germaine,2020, p. 98). These technologies are implemented in thousands of buildings today, with a recent example being No 1 Finsbury Avenue a retrofitted 1980s building which achieved BREEM very good even though it retained 90% of its original HVAC systems. They achieved this by modifying the existing infrastructure to allow intelligent sensors to control all the building functions, from shading to water management and thermal control.
The system also provides data link and data security along with CCTV and smart locks. As Siemens says in their brusher, “Smart building isn’t smart unless it is secure”.
Figure 3,CCTV (Banksy 2019)
Safety Has a Price.
Security is the biggest concern regarding smart cities and smart buildings. According to the London Assembly, CCTV also has a 70% fail rate, yet its sole function is to solve and prevent, but poor picture quality prevents this. Siemens, the company that wants you to feel safe and secure whilst using its products, has suffered countless data breaches, says Nozomi Sectary. They could hack their Building systems and deny access for four days. This controlled attack shows the danger of becoming dependent on digital networks. Yet the world seems fixated on getting smarter rather than safer, with 5G allowing even more data and information to be harvested from our cities. But is it safe?
In 2020, Huawei was banned from the UK 5G network due to its links with China’s communist party. The ban came out of fear of the Chinese government spying on British citizens. Whilst Huawei deny these claims, the Chinese National Intelligence Law of 2017 states that “companies must support, cooperate with and collaborate in national intelligence work” (NIL,2017, P2,6). This case study shows the privacy issues and security problems facing smart cities. Controlling the network gives access to all communications within that area, meaning your phone could be used to track you, listen to you and watch you.
It’s not just the Chinese trying to steal your privacy but the NSA (National Security Agency) in America or GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters) in Britain. Information is power, and our cities are at the centre of the next gold rush: network nodes, CCTV, Biometrics, ALPR and your smartphone all aid in mining your data. We now live in George Orwell’s 1984 novel, where the term “Big Brother” is used for the first time. The all-seeing, watchful eye of the state is something many governments wish to have in the name of security.
Conclusion
An argument can be made to say smart cities create a safer environment where if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. Privacy might be a small price to pay for security. You might Have faith in the governments and companies that mine your data to be responsible for it. Your faith may be rewarded with a utopian vision of cleaner air, better transport, and less crime. For others, the anxiety of knowing there are eyes around every corner and ears in your pocket sounds like a dystopian novel we can’t believe is true, begging the question of who really benefits from smarter cities.
Bibliography
List of images
Fig 1, N/S. (2021) Smart City [online image],Website. Available at: https://accesspartnership.com/guiding-the-evolution-of-smart-cities/
(Accessed: 1 January 2024)
Fig 2, N/S. (2020) Smart Lights [online image],Website. Available at: https://www.intelligenttransport.com/transport-news/112455/tfl-traffic-light/
(Accessed: 1 January 2024)
Fig 3, Banksy. (2019) CCTV [online image],Website. Available at: https://www.verdict.co.uk/most-surveilled-city/?cf-view
(Accessed: 1 January 2024)
Publication
Halegoua, G.R. (2020) Smart Cities. IEEE Xplore. Boston: MIT Press, publisher (Online ).
Hao, Y., George, W.C.X. and Dittmer, L. (2015) Challenges to Chinese foreign policy diplomacy, globalization, and the next World power. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky.
N/S (2013) British Security Industry Association (BSIA). Worcester: BSIA (CCTV).
Orwell, G. and Fromm, E. (1949) 1984: Novel. New York: A Signet Classic.
Shaikh, R.A. (2019) Secure cyber-physical systems for smart cities. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Online
Bowler, T. (2020) Huawei: Why is it being banned from the UK’s 5G network?, BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-47041341 (Accessed: 03 January 2024).
Kovacs, B. (2022) Hackers can make Siemens Building Automation Controllers ‘unavailable for days’, SecurityWeek. Available at: https://www.securityweek.com/hackers-can-make-siemens-building-automation-controllers-unavailable-days/ (Accessed: 03 January 2024).
NIL (2017) National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic – Brown University, National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic. Available at: https://cs.brown.edu/courses/csci1800/sources/2017_PRC_NationalIntelligenceLaw.pdf (Accessed: 01 January 2024).
N/S (2019) Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) College of Policing. Available at: https://www.college.police.uk/research/crime-reduction-toolkit/cctv?InterventionID=1 (Accessed: 03 January 2024).
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Panel®, E. (2023) Council post: 18 smart-city technologies that will genuinely improve urban living, Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/06/05/18-smart-city-technologies-that-will-genuinely-improve-urban-living/ (Accessed: 03 January 2024).
Smith, A. (2021) Case study: The challenge of reusing central plant at the £60m retrofit of 1 Finsbury Avenue, CIBSE Journal. Available at: https://www.cibsejournal.com/case-studies/case-study-the-challenge-of-reusing-central-plant-at-the-60m-retrofit-of-1-finsbury-avenue/ (Accessed: 03 January 2024).
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Expanding on the complex topic of the ethics centred around pervasive surveillance in smart cities, it’s important to further look at how constant surveillance can impact citizens’ lives. Knowing you’re being constantly watched can shape behaviours, perceptions of personal space, and even the very structure of society, and often in negative ways (Ziosi,. et al, 2022).
Constant monitoring can lead to self-censorship or changing your behaviour to avoid perceived scrutiny, influencing how individuals view and exercise their rights, potentially impacting their psychological well-being in the process. Yes this can help to deter criminals, but what about the rest of the population who deserve the freedom to go outside and socially interact in urban spaces that were once considered private?
But I guess it’s just not that simple, and we must fairly survey everyone to be able to pick out the criminals, right? However, it becomes more problematic when people are judged on what they might do before they are judged on what they have done. This leads me onto the topic “data determinism” and ethical concerns regarding racial profiling, social categorisation, and biased policing (Ramirez 2013). For example, in smart cities, police departments use technology to make analytical predictions for determining where future crimes might occur (Ziosi,. et al, 2022). While this might seem strategical, innovative, and even innocent, predictive policing only adds the existing problem of racial profiling and forms racially bias algorithms (Koss, 2015). If we’re not positively integrating technology into our cities to help address these issues, then what’s the point?
Smart cities can also pose further challenges regarding inequality and disparities. Effective smart cities rely on inhabitants adapting to this mode of living, which requires broadband for internet and smart phones. This disregards those who do not know how to use this, those who are disabled, those who are poor, to name a few. Smart cities physically may not be an option for some people; but they don’t deserve to get left behind (Kempin Reuter, 2020). This digital divide needs to be addressed when designing new technologies for urban environments. For example, ensuring broadband is more readily available, and marginalised neighbourhoods are not disregarded by internet providers.
Looking forward, urban planners and policymakers must use their power to help achieve a careful balance between digital safety measures and respecting individuals’ rights. Citizens should be able to control what data is being extracted from them as well as, be able to confront any misuse of it by the governing authorities.
References
Kempin Reuter, Tina. (2020). Smart City Visions and Human Rights: Do They Go Together?. Available at: https://carrcenter.hks.harvard.edu/files/cchr/files/CCDP_006.pdf
Koss, K. 2015. “Leveraging predictive policing algorithms to restore fourth amendment protections in high-crime areas in a post- Wardlow world.” Chicago-Kent Law Review, 90(1), 301-334
Rameriz, E. 2013. “The privacy challenges of big data: A view from the lifeguard’s chair.” Technology Policy Institute Aspen Forum, 19 August, Available at: http//ftc.gov/speeches/ramirez/130819bigdataaspen.pdf.
Ziosi, M. et al. (2022) ‘Smart cities: Reviewing the debate about their ethical implications’, AI & SOCIETY [Preprint]. doi:10.1007/s00146-022-01558-0.
Thank you for providing this interesting blog, the exploration of smart cities presents a compelling narrative that combines innovation, convenience, and the deep complexities of contemporary urban life. This blog takes a reflective approach, examining the central question: who stands to gain the most from these digitally transformed cityscapes?
The blog begins by clearly illustrating the promising characteristics of smart city technologies, providing a clear picture of how cities are changing and adapting to meet the demands of their citizens. The representation of an adaptable traffic system and the use of state-of-the-art technology for safety improvements are compelling because they provide the potential for increased productivity, decreased traffic, and strengthened security, all of which contribute to a more comfortable and successful urban lifestyle. However, the blog delves into the critical consideration of the price of such advancements. It scrutinizes the darker side of smart city technologies, particularly in terms of security vulnerabilities and privacy infringements. Despite the promises of enhanced safety, instances of data breaches and security lapses within prominent companies like Siemens cast doubt on the reliability of these systems.
The blog’s divergent opinions are encapsulated in the thoughtful synopsis. The expression “if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear” is consistent with the theory that the greater good may justify a trade-off between security and privacy. It captures the idealized picture of safer, more technologically advanced, and cleaner urban environments that smart cities claim to offer. Kitchin emphasizes the ethical considerations in the deployment of smart city technologies, discussing issues such as consent, privacy, and surveillance. (From “The Ethics of Smart Cities and Urban Science” by Rob Kitchin (2016) ). This aligns with the moral dilemma presented in the blog post regarding the trade-off between security and individual privacy.
Just a gentle reminder that every technological advancement has a human origin story is provided by this blog. It challenges us to consider the human cost of progress and emphasizes how crucial it is to safeguard individuals’ rights to privacy and liberties in the face of technological advancement. The story asks whether anyone really benefits from smart cities and pushes for a more human-centered approach to integrating technology into urban areas.
This reflective journey serves as a call to empathy and comprehension in the continuing conversation about smart cities. It highlights the necessity of maintaining a human element while pursuing progress and argues for a time when technology will benefit humanity without undermining our core beliefs and rights. The debate about smarter cities isn’t just about technological advancement; it’s a deeply human conversation about the kind of world we want to live in.
References:
Kitchin, Rob. “The Ethics of Smart Cities and Urban Science.” Published in 2016