Smart cities are going to be amazing community hubs that will be more sustainable, efficient, and supportive of citizens. The concept of smart communities is based on intelligent infrastructure such as broadband (FttH) and smart grids, so that connected and sustainable communities can be developed. Smart Transport is a key component of smart cities.
They cannot be built within the silo structure however; a holistic approach is needed – one that includes environmental issues such as self-sufficient energy buildings, exchanges for renewable energy and e-cars, delivery of e-health, e-education and e-government services, as well as digital media and internet services.
To date, the easiest path to incorporating these concepts into a smart community has been with the development of ‘Greenfield’ residential communities. These projects essentially start with no existing legacy utility infrastructure, and involve the construction of new dwellings capable of incorporating a range of new technologies. Greenfield development sites can be used as test beds and lead the way for other existing communities to follow suit.
How data and information is processed and utilised will be a key to the success of smart cities, which is why developments regarding Big Data management, M2M communication and Cloud Computing are of particular importance to smart city developments.
The home automation market has certainly caught the interest of some of the industry heavyweights with Qualcomm, Samsung and Apple all developing their own smart home automation solutions. Reportedly, Google acquired Nest in order to develop home automation offerings too.