What are the benefits of smart cities?

The benefits of smart city technology include:

• Higher quality of life for citizens
• More responsive city services
• Reduced traffic congestion and faster commute times
• Lower energy consumption and more efficient energy delivery
• A smaller carbon footprint
• Safer streets and highways
• Less crime
• Improved public safety
• Greater civic engagement among residents, businesses and community leaders
   

There’s been a lot of news coverage about smart cities in the last few years as more municipalities adopt technological solutions to urban challenges. But what exactly is smart city technology, and what are the benefits of smart cities? In this brief overview “What are the benefits of smart cities?”, we’ll define a smart city and cover the basic benefits of smart city technology in a variety of areas.

What is a smart city?

A smart city is an urban environment that uses technology, data and analytics to manage assets, resources and city services more effectively and efficiently. Smart city technology relies on a wide variety of sensors and Internet of Things devices to gather data on everything from traffic and transportation issues to power plants and water supplies to public safety and information systems.

What are the benefits of smart cities?

By processing the data from a comprehensive network of sensor technology, cities can make marked improvements in a wide variety of city services and functions. Some of the many benefits of smart city initiatives include:

• Shorter commute times and improved traffic patterns.
• Greater safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.
• Easier parking for drivers.
• Reductions in crime and faster identification and apprehension of criminals.
• More efficient use of energy and resources, lowering consumption and minimizing carbon footprints.
• More responsive communication with citizens.
• Improved public safety and more responsive emergency services.
• Enhanced civic engagement from citizens, businesses and civic leaders.
   

What are the benefits of smart cities’ infrastructure?

Infrastructure for a smart city includes a broad range of data-collecting sensors, a high-speed and high-bandwidth network that can connect sensors and convey data, analytics platforms that process data to produce actionable intelligence, and interfaces that deliver valuable insight to city employees and city residents. The benefits of smart city infrastructure are greater understanding and insight into how city services, resources and assets are performing, and how they can be managed more effectively and cost-efficiently.

What are the benefits of smart cities’ transportation programs?

The benefits of smart city transportation initiatives such as smart traffic lights, smart parking services and connected vehicles include:

• Less traffic congestion and faster commute times through the city.
• Improved safety at intersections and on roadways for pedestrians and bicyclists.
• Faster incident response times.
• Less time spent by drivers idling at stop lights, reducing carbon footprint.
• Easier ways to alert drivers to available parking using sensors, GPS data, payment data and other sources.
   

What are the benefits of smart cities’ utility management initiatives?

The benefits of smart city programs such as smart waste management, smart street lighting, smart buildings, smart water management and smart grid technology include:

• Fewer wasted water resources, thanks to leak detectors and smart meter technology.
• Increased efficiency in delivering electricity to businesses and consumers.
• Optimized waste removal using sensor-enabled trash bins that notify sanitation departments when they are full.
• Greater safety and more efficient use of energy in commercial buildings through monitoring of HVAC, lighting and security systems.
   

What are the benefits of smart cities’ public safety technology?

The benefits of smart city initiatives in public safety include:

• Less crime, thanks to visual surveillance systems that help to identify and catch criminals more easily.
• Early warning of safety issues with critical infrastructure like power plants and bridges.
• More transparency and positive interaction between police officers and citizens through the use of wearable police cameras.
• Reductions in the cost and impact of pollution through climate monitoring devices.
• Greater awareness of conditions throughout the city such as traffic, crowds, construction sites and disaster areas, enabling faster emergency response times.
   

What are the benefits of smart cities for civic engagement?

The benefits of smart city technology for public engagement include:

• Easier digital access to information, services and interaction with city department.
• Greater civic participation and engagement.
• Access to information in public spaces through the use of smart kiosk technology that provide free Wi-Fi, wayfinding, public information and access to emergency services.
   

What are the benefits for smart cities that partner with Spectrum Enterprise?

Spectrum Enterprise is a trusted technology partner for many smart cities throughout the U.S. The benefits of smart city partnerships with Spectrum include:

• Access to 100 Gbps symmetrical speeds for city governments and enterprise clients.
• Gigabit connections for homes and businesses.
• A two-way, fully interactive digital network.
• Thousands of Wi-Fi hotspots that will soon add 5G and 802.11ax technology capable of 1 Gbps speeds wirelessly.
• Access to one of the country’s largest LTE cellular networks.
   

Learn more about Spectrum Smart Cities at www.spectrumsmartcities.com.