Why smart cities still aren't working for us and how we can fix it

1. WHY SMART CITIES STILL
AREN’T WORKING FOR US
AFTER 20 YEARS AND HOW
WE CAN FIX THEM
URBAN DESIGN 1
Nguyen Hoang
Minh
XZDV13

2. ConclusionWhy smart
cities are a
political
leadership
challenge
Why we
are not
really
investing
in smart
cities
4 ways to
get on with
building
Smart Cities
How to lead
a smart city

3. The goal of a smart city is to invest in
technology in order to create economic,
social and environmental improvements.
Because Smart Cities are
usually defined by the role
of technology in city
systems rather than by the
role of policy in shaping
the outcomes of
investment – the idea has
not gained interest and
support from the highest
level of political leadership
The ordinary people who
vote for politicians, pay
taxes, buy products, use
public services and make
businesses work
are not even aware of the
idea, let alone supportive
of it

4. WHY WE ARE NOT REALLY INVESTING
IN SMART CITIES
- The investment streams are
largely limited to corporate
research and development
funds, charitable or socially-
focused grants > not enough
- Only investing in technology
to develop new products and
services that consumers want
to buy > likely to reduce our
life expectancy and social
engagement
- The similarly massive
investments continually made
in property development and
infrastructure in cities are not
creating investments in digital
technology in the public

5. We’ll only build smart cities when we shape
the market for investing in technology for
cities services and infrastructures
Some businesses have the
scale, vision and stability
to make more direct links
in their strategies and
decision-making to the
dependency between their
success as businesses and
the health of the society in
which they operate –
Unilever is a notable and
high profile example.

6. A leadership imperative from the past
- Historically, there is plenty of
evidence that investments in
technology and infrastructure
can create great harm if
market forces alone are left to
shape them.
- Centre for Cities explored
the previous century of urban
development in the UK. They
concluded that the single most
important influence on the
success of cities was their
ability to provide their citizens
with the right skills and
opportunities to find
employment, as the skills

7. WHY SMART CITIES ARE A POLITICAL
LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE?
Approaching “Smart Cities” not as a technology invention
but as a political and economic issue made urgent by
imperative challenges to society.
- why focus on cities?
- why focus on “bottom-up” innovation?
- why focus on people?

8. 4 WAYS TO GET ON WITH BUILDING
SMART CITIES
- Include smart city criteria
in the procurement of
services by local
authorities to encourage
competitive innovation
from private sector
- Encourage development
opportunities to include
“smart” infrastructure.
- Commit to the
entrepreneurial
programmes
- Enable and support
social enterprise

9. HOW TO LEAD A SMART CITY
Commitment
Collaboration
Consistency
Community

10. RE-STATING WHAT SMART CITIES IS
ABOUT
A Smart City or community is one which successfully
harnesses the most powerful tool of our age – digital
technology – to create opportunities for its citizens;
to address the most severe acute challenges the human
race has ever faced, arising from global urbanisation and
population growth and man-made climate change; and
to address the persistent challenge of social and
economic inequality. The policies and investments
needed to do this demand the highest level of political
leadership at a local level where regional challenges and
resources are best understood, and particularly in cities
where they are most concentrated. Those policies and
investments will only be successful if they are enabling,
not directing; if they result from the actions of leaders
who are listening and responding to the people and
communities they serve; and if they shape an urban
environment and digital economy in which individual
citizens, businesses and communities have the skills,