Mention ‘smart’ cities and our thoughts perhaps naturally turn to Europe and North America. Yet some of today’s leaders in connectivity, innovation and technology deployment actually lie to the east of us. Across Asia Pacific, many urban centres are tackling identical issues to their western counterparts, but at a far faster pace.
Strong population growth in the region is driving improved transportation links, more sustainable urban planning and better management of energy and resources. Meanwhile, an ageing population is reinforcing the need for efficient healthcare services and accessibility for the elderly.
Motivations for smart city development have evolved rapidly in recent years – from the initial excitement over what digital technologies can deliver to a more thoughtful consideration of how these technologies can genuinely improve the lives of citizens.
In a new report, Connected Cities: Citizen insights across Asia Pacific, KPMG in China tracks how five cities – Hong Kong, Melbourne, Seoul, Shanghai and Singapore – match up in terms of social, economic and technological developments. The publication explores whether recent urban initiatives are in line with citizens’ needs. Its findings are based on a survey, run jointly with YouGov, which asked 4,192 residents which development areas top their list of priorities.
Overall, the number one development issue for residents was creating a better living environment through thoughtful urban planning and design, cited by 51% of those polled. Second came the need to improve access to and delivery of healthcare for residents as a key priority within cities’ development. Some 43% of all respondents also highlighted transportation and mobility as central to the mix, closely followed by the creation of a future-focused workforce, a key priority in all five of the cities listed.
The report also explored issues on a city by city basis. For residents in Seoul and Hong Kong, the creation of a better living environment was the most pressing issue, followed by improving access to and the delivery of healthcare. In Shanghai and Singapore, improving access to and delivery of healthcare was the top concern, and in Melbourne the focus was on improving transportation and mobility.
Liveability has to be the beating heart of any smart city. People don’t just want a connected city; they want to live and work in a place that serves all their needs. Building a smart city means enabling it to handle future challenges, such as catering far better to the needs of the ageing population. It also means addressing long-standing problems, such as providing affordable housing, optimising the use and conservation of scarce resources, and undertaking urban regeneration programmes. Technology plays a vital role here – and will do so even more in the coming years, as cities roll out digital solutions in everything from transport to payments to public services.
Smart city solutions must address all of these requirements in ways that are sustainable for the long term. Smart cities therefore need smart governments in charge – ones with vision and strategic thinking, able to operate seamlessly across departments and to respond rapidly as disruptors such as technology usher in both risk and opportunity.
Ever since the days of Ancient Rome, cities have been the hub of everyday life: the place where goods are traded, business and personal relationships are formed and entertainment is pursued. With 5G just around the corner and European governments exploring how new technologies can enable the next generation of smart cities, it’s vital to remember that, first and foremost, cities are about the people who live and work in them. Whatever form the cities of tomorrow take, the needs of their people must always drive the solutions.
Hong Kong
In December 2017, Hong Kong published its Smart City Blueprint, a document focused expressly on raising liveability standards. As noted in its introduction, a smart city should be “people-centric” and built upon their needs, with benefits that can be seen and felt by residents and visitors alike.
As well as infrastructure improvements, including the launch of the Faster Payment System (FPS) digital payment network and new transport links, the city is planning ambitious targets for smart development over the next two years. These include a rollout of electronic identity (eID) for residents, the launch of commercial 5G, and a plan to replace half of the coal-powered energy feeding into the city’s grid with renewable sources.
Melbourne
Melbourne is working towards smart city development initiatives that address climate change as well as supporting the city’s rapid population growth. It is currently developing a scheme to help people who are blind or hard of hearing to move around the city more easily. Another key initiative is an open data platform with almost 100 datasets that anyone can access and use. These include pedestrian tracking data for the city’s busiest locations and real-time parking information, and a network of more than 400 solar-powered smart rubbish bins with sensors able to detect when they are ready to be emptied.
Seoul
Seoul’s Digital 2020 strategy forms part of a master plan for the city’s residents to access
high-quality digital services. Focus areas include communication between government and the public, efficient disaster response, enhanced support for the digital industry, and the opening of a cloud centre. One key initiative, the Digital Civic Mayor’s Office, brings together 167 different departments, 10 million data points and 800 CCTV cameras in real time, making it easier for everyone to track projects and policies.
Shanghai
In Shanghai, one example of the city’s efforts to build a smarter future is its plan to support greener buildings. A project in the city’s Changning District has set the ambitious target of achieving a 20% reduction in energy use among the city’s commercial and public buildings by 2036. The district also plans to construct a series of new “zero-carbon emission” buildings in a pilot low-carbon zone.
Singapore
Five years ago, Singapore launched its Smart Nation initiative, at the heart of which are a number of strategic national projects aimed at improving daily life for Singaporeans. These include enabling e-payments, rolling out a national digital identity scheme, building a nationwide sensor platform, and increasing urban mobility with autonomous vehicles. Another major initiative is the development of a new, more agile platform to enable the government to deliver digital services to citizens faster and in a more cost-efficient way.
