Future cities will be quickly shaped by technology and data. This trend is projected to have quite an impact on how cities are designed, built, and operated in the coming years. The following are a few ways that data and technology are influencing cities in the future:

Smart City Technology:

The Internet of Things (IoT) has helped in the “smart cities” era. Where the use of technology helps to collect and analyse data in order to improve services and address urban issues. Among other things, smart city technology can help cities in managing traffic flow, lowering energy usage, improve public safety and monitor air quality. An example of this is Bristol. They are using smart technology to meet their ambition which was to reduce co2 emissions by 45% (Bristol Futures, 2020).

Figure 1: List of smart technologies that make up a smart city (Constro Facilitator, 2022)

Predictive Analytics:

By using data to predict future trends, and issues and to guide decision-making. Predictive analytics is changing the way that cities are run. Cities can use predictive analytics, for instance, to locate regions that are at risk of flooding and to plan the best way to deploy emergency resources (Ibm.com, 2023).

Figure 2: different types of analytics and how they can be useful (Tucci, 2021)

Urban Planning and Design:

The way cities are formed and created is changing as a result of technology and data. Urban planners and designers can now visualise and test many situations thanks to new tools like 3D modelling and virtual reality simulations. This makes it simpler to come up with novel solutions (SNC-Lavalin, 2022).

Mobility:

With the arrival of self-driving vehicles, e-bikes, e-scooters and other new kinds of mobility. Technology is changing how people move about cities. Cities are becoming more reachable as a result and traffic jams and carbon emissions have decreased due to this. London is a great example of this as they currently looking to use technology to help with autonomous taxi services (Smart, 2020).

Building Management:

The management and upkeep of buildings are also becoming better thanks to technology and data. Building management systems, for instance, can track energy usage and consumption trends.  This can assist building owners in lowering costs and raising energy efficiency(Azolla Software, 2020).

In conclusion, as cities search for fresh, cutting-edge solutions to the complicated problems they face, the role of technology and data in creating the future of cities is becoming more and more crucial. Technology and data will soon define future cities whether it is through the application of smart city technology, predictive analytics, urban planning and design, mobility, or building management.

Reference

Figure 1:

Constro Facilitator (2022). Different types of technologies for smart cities. [online] Constro Facilitator. Available at: https://constrofacilitator.com/different-types-of-technologies-for-smart-cities/ [Accessed 8 Mar. 2023].

Figure 2:

Tucci, L. (2021). What is predictive analytics? An enterprise guide. [online] Business Analytics. Available at: https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/definition/predictive-analytics [Accessed 8 Mar. 2023].

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‌Bibliography:

Bristol Futures (2020). Bristol smart city report. [online] Slideshare.net. Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/Bristolcc/bristol-smart-city-report-7579696 [Accessed 8 Mar. 2023].

Ibm.com. (2023). What is predictive analytics? | IBM. [online] Available at: https://www.ibm.com/topics/predictive-analytics#:~:text=Predictive%20analytics%20is%20a%20branch,to%20identify%20risks%20and%20opportunities. [Accessed 8 Mar. 2023].

SNC-Lavalin. (2022). How will technology impact urban planning? | SNC-Lavalin. [online] Available at: https://careers.snclavalin.com/blogs/2022-10/how-will-technology-impact-urban-planning#:~:text=Technology%20will%20enable%20smart%20cities&text=For%20example%2C%20the%20Internet%20of,congestion%20and%20improving%20air%20quality. [Accessed 8 Mar. 2023].

Smart (2020). Smart Mobility Living Lab: London. [online] Smart Mobility Living Lab: London. Available at: https://smartmobility.london/ [Accessed 8 Mar. 2023].

Azolla Software (2020). Applications of IoT in Facilities Management. [online] Azolla | Next Generation Facilities Management. Available at: https://azollasoftware.com/applications-of-iot-in-facilities-management/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20most%20useful,with%20numerous%20other%20critical%20assets. [Accessed 8 Mar. 2023].

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