We can refresh the idea of a smart city every few months—usually when some new technology circulates around the world, including the Internet. There have already been some technological game changers like artificial intelligence or a new data analysis tool in Poland—is this a real change?
As part of our #ReportThursday series, we present documents, reports and guides on architecture, cities and local government that are certainly worth publicizing and promoting. This week we look at the report „Innovative Cities. Living, Working and Housing of Tomorrow” compiled by ThinkCo.
The strengths of this study are that it branches out to meet the needs of cities, businesses, and households, as well as a comprehensive summary of smart city solutions in Poland. Before asking the basic question, do we need these solutions, and if so, to what extent?
The report, available on ThinkCo's website.
Technology solutions could nearly double in the coming years
© ThinkCo
the next generations
Behind the term „smart cities” is the definition of a city that uses technology to improve the quality of its services and infrastructure. We are even able to distinguish relevant generations of smart cities within which one can see a shift in approach from simply using technology to introducing it for sustainable development or democratization of city space participants.
Pillars of smart city 4.o. according to the authors of the report
© ThinkCo
As the report 's authors point out , the new generation of smart city solutions is to be based on coordination between institutions, greater consideration of data or commitment to solving the problems of civilization. The use of public-private partnerships, the spread of direct decision-making capabilities or improving the quality of education are all part of expanding the use of technological solutions.
However, the use of these assets should not be limited to superlatives—smart cities can also create problems. These include financial costs, the problem of data security or inefficiency against resources. That's why the report's authors invoke two more terms—smart enough city and dumb city—about which you will read more in the document.
The use of technology can be a double-edged sword. How are technological solutions being used in Poland?
generations of smart city
polish solutions
An important value of the publication is the collection of used smart solutions that are used in Polish cities. All projects from UrbanLabs, the use of smart lighting, Vision Zero or IST systems. The solutions are not limited by the size of the center—whether the projects are introduced in small towns or metropolises.
On top of that, the report provides an overview of solutions for greenery, transportation, public participation or formulas that can be adapted in centers regardless of the size of the center or the solution to the problem.
map of smart solutions in Poland
© ThinkCo
Using smart solutions is not a miracle solution, but some of them can be implemented at little cost—the question is, what do we need most? The referenced study shows the path of a green, environmentally friendly city (with reduced energy and resource consumption), but also the digitization of offices or the ubiquity of remote payment.
The report is not limited to cities, it also opens up to developers—you will find data on modern technologies used in construction and real estate. From project management, information modeling or sensors.
Which technologies have the most relevance to real estate development
© ThinkCo
be smart, but not so much
The consolidation of knowledge about what solutions we are implementing in our cities, offices and homes can be useful—for the unconvinced and especially for skeptics. The report allows us to discover many solutions from small towns that we probably would never have heard of. It ties together with a wide buckle at the same time the problems of construction, labor formula and cities.
how do we see the need to develop our cities?
© ThinkCo
Being a smart city is still not determined by the infusion of technology, but by the sensible cost of action to solve a problem—but in the coming years, in the wave of successive crises, these solutions will experience renaissance after renaissance. It's worth preparing for this discussion.
The report is available on the ThinkCo website.
The most popular technological solutions used in the smart city
© ThinkCo
