Global Smart Infrastructure - Smart Cities and Smart Transport Trends and Statistics

Global Smart Infrastructure - Smart Cities and Smart Transport Trends and Statistics

Smart cities are going to be amazing community hubs which 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. State-of-the-art telecommunications are also vital to a citys economic health and well-being.

Around the world there are already examples of some smart cities emerging and many countries have developed plans for smart infrastructure. However, before these smart communities can be built properly, trans-sector policies and strategies need to be carefully considered and developed.

Smart cities can't be built from the current silo structure that dominates our thinking; but require a holistic approach which includes environmental issues such as self sufficient energy buildings, energy exchanges for renewable energy and e-cars, delivery of e-health, e-education, e-government services as well as digital media and internet services. Drones, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), have opened up a whole new realm of possibilities as well as challenging current privacy, civil liberty, safety and air vehicle use laws around the world.

Half of the world's population are already city-dwellers, and the trend towards increased urbanization is accelerating rapidly. The future of the majority of the world's citizens is undeniably urban 70% will live in cities by 2050 - but how exactly that city of tomorrow will look, and how smart living is implemented and experienced remains largely uncertain.

This BuddeComm report discusses and provides examples of some of the key developments taking place around the world towards building smart cities and communities, including smart homes and smart transport developments.

Latest developments:

In many cities around the world, high density living is the norm and attention is now turning towards making this style of living more sustainable; Technology innovations include water harvesting and re-use, solar collection and energy efficient appliances including heating and cooling; Sustainable urban transport systems are also on the agenda for many governments; Cities and metro areas in the US and Canada alone are expected to spend billions on mass transit expansion projects in 2014; With increased climate change events around the world, the new definition of smart community' as set by Japan is relevant to other parts of the world. The definition of smart communities that is used in Japan is much broader even than what is being talked about elsewhere in the world. It is seen more as a social experiment than an energy or ICT issue.