Urban settings continue to expand as people migrate from one place to another. This affects the share of resources that individuals in a certain region can access at every point in time. To make cities more habitable and sustainable, a solution that looks into data analysis to provide an efficient system that improves the socioeconomic welfare of the citizens through the engagement of policies has to be explored.
In the race towards net zero and an increasing effect of climate change, a phenomenon that has been aggravated due to increased carbon emissions, the need for deep decarbonisation across various sectors has become necessary for the continuous socio-economic development of the world. Several migration patterns are leading to overpopulation in cities across the world. With the overpopulation rate comes increased activities ranging from transportation to electricity demand and production, thereby calling for urban sustainability.
There is a range of issues, including technical and economic issues, which smart cities must address. It is noteworthy that a standard definition for a smart city does not exist, as it is more of a process through which cities adjust to the changes in their make-up and therefore become more habitable, with the ability to bounce back from difficult situations. The environmental challenge being posed to human existence must therefore be addressed using policy instruments that can be applied, especially in the concept of smart cities.
Policies for the advancement of smart cities are quite information-driven and rest on several factors that interplay in society. The following highlights the aspects of the community that must be considered in setting up policies and ascertaining their roles critically.
● Digitalised infrastructure that is secure yet open access data that can be used over and over.
● A citizen-conscious service delivery.
● A feasible structural plan to ensure that continuous research and development is ongoing.
● A publicly accessible data bank that reveals results and performance of current systems, providing room for public comparison and criticism.
Policies in smart cities must therefore identify and address barriers to the implementation of the various structures to having a smart city system. Some of these barriers include; funding, information gaps, and data privacy challenges.
Some policy instruments such as these may be adopted to address these challenges and ensure a transition of environments for a more sustainable future.
● Promotion of open data so that the data can be accessed, transmitted and put to productive use.
● Implementation of local programmes that foster capacity development for technologies that would advance the course of smart cities.
● A corporately integrated policy scheme that encourages the adoption of new technologies.
The effect of smart cities on urban and even regional development cannot be emphasised, creating an enabling environment that catalyses growth. Policies, therefore, become an essential tool in scaling the growth of nations through smart cities.