The “smart cities” hyperbole has become a bit thick – even compared to typical tech exaggeration. It’s no wonder that we’ve started to see a backlash against the idea. It’s become one of those markets where it’s difficult to separate the reality from the noise.
Here are some important patterns:
- Smart cities represent the majority of smart government excitement and benefits
- ‘Smart’ requires much more than technology to succeed, there’s the need for engagement and improved governance to coordinate so many smart domains (health, education, transportation, energy, water, waste etc.)
- The Internet of Things is critical for smart cities, but provides very little benefit unless combined with other technologies like big data and cloud computing
- Cities in emerging economies have the opportunity to leapfrog cities in developed countries
- Almost all smart cities projects are at a pilot stage, and it’s very premature to speak about “best practices”