We live in a smart world these days – or so we’re told. In a few short years we’ve gone from smartphones to smart homes, and now, smart cities. How can a city be smart?
The term “smart city” has lately become a buzzword for city governance, yet it remains opaque and relatively ill-defined. Wikipedia tells us a smart city is “an urban area that has been developed with a high level of technological advancement, utilising a variety of electronic methods and sensors’’.
Google the term and you will find explanations such as “a place where traditional networks and services are made more efficient with the use of digital solutions’’, and even “a smart city is an intelligent city’’. Well, quite.
Nonetheless, I look at the definition of a Smart City from another point of view. To me, the technology component is merely an enabler – a way to remove roadblocks and create more seamless, connected experiences for city dwellers. Being smart about urban development means finding more efficient, sustainable, and practical ways to improve its attractiveness to our citizens, residents, businesses, and visitors alike.
Abu Dhabi’s smart city success
Clearly, Abu Dhabi is on the right track here. Our city is ranked 10th in the world on the International Institute for Management Development’s Smart City Index – the only city outside Western Europe in the top 10, besides Singapore. We’ve harnessed the Internet of Things, AI, and data analytics in such ventures as Smart Parks, using technology to create better, more sustainable experiences for visitors.
We’ve also harnessed the power of data to streamline our transport operations – what we call Smart Mobility – which uses AI to help optimise fleet operations in the city while minimising congestion and emissions.
One of Abu Dhabi’s many AI start-ups, a company called Analog, has announced a partnership with US cognitive computing company Verses. The idea is to increase the number of taxis in operation during periods of high demand, while determining the optimal allocation of tasks for each taxi and driver.
We in Abu Dhabi do not want to be just a regional leader in AI, but a world leader in this revolutionary technology. It’s why our renowned AI and cloud computing firm, G42, has partnered with other world-leading companies in this space, such as Microsoft and Nivida.
One of the organisations in Abu Dhabi that I lead, the Department of Municipalities and Transport, has been tasked by Leadership to ensure that Abu Dhabi ranks among the most advanced cities in the world. This is a big responsibility, but also a huge opportunity.
Abu Dhabi is growing fast, and urbanising at a rapid rate as well. By 2040, our population is expected to double. We have a plan to provide a pathway to sustainable growth and continued success. Of course that plan will harness the power of technology.
But everything we do must be in service to our people. And we must never forget that technology is only as good as its ability to make the lives of our people better. So to me, the questions city leaders should be asking themselves include: ‘what do people and businesses need to thrive and how can technology help them do so? ‘How can we use data to get a deep understanding of citizen needs?’ And, ‘how are we using data to drive development that is sustainable?’
When we started planning for this ‘smart’ future, we turned to technology to help us gain a deeper understanding of the needs, wants, and dreams of our citizens and residents.
This is all part of our master plan to build sustainable and interconnected communities, meet the needs and aspirations of our people, and enhance their quality of life. I want Abu Dhabi to be the most liveable city in the world. I see this as an achievable goal. But I also recognise there is more we have to do.
Smart cities with purpose
Looking at the various global indices that measure liveability, I can see three things that the highest-ranking cities consistently do well:
First, they position themselves for success by setting unique standards and competing on their own terms. Second, they focus on tackling their most pressing challenges by creating innovative solutions that play to their strengths. And third, they have leaders who prioritise the elements that their cities are good at, and embody their cities’ values.
In Abu Dhabi, our unique strengths include our safety and security, our technology infrastructure, our cultural vibrancy and innovation, and our natural environment. But we must also plan for the challenges of population growth, urbanisation, resource pressure, and climate change.
Collectively, this represents an enormous opportunity. Technology is the key that can unlock it, as long as we remember one thing: it is a means to an end – it is not an end in itself.
So, what is the end goal? To me, it all comes down to empowerment. Whether the ambition is economic opportunity or autonomous mobility; smart infrastructure or sustainable urban planning, it’s about how we provide people with the tools and the environment they need to succeed.
Now that’s truly smart.
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