Singapore has outdone London and New York by achieving top position in a global smart city performance ranking in 2017. In addition, the nation also achieved top performance in all of the key areas measured.
The Global Smart City Performance Index ranks the top 20 global smart cities in relation to the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and connected services across four key aspects: mobility, healthcare, public safety and productivity.
Smart cities have been found to be capable of saving individuals approximately 125 hours annually.
- Mobility
Study revealed that the implementation of IoT-enabled infrastructure in Singapore such as applied smart and connected traffic solutions carried out by the Land Transport Authority can save drivers up to 60 hours annually.
- Healthcare
Smart cities with connected digital health services have been found to be able to save individuals approximately 10 hours a year. This is particularly eminent in cities such as Singapore and Seoul where they have focused on the healthcare service administration for elderly citizens through various technologies including digital service platforms and remote monitoring devices.
- Public Safety
Advancements in public safety through the use of IoT technologies allow city dwellers to save more time. For example, Singapore’s trial and use of smart video surveillance can lead up to 35 hours per year of time saved for its citizens.
- Productivity
Productivity benefits from advocating digital innovation to rectify urban planning challenges and capacity for citizens to access digital services and city information were proved to be essential in enhancing citizens’ productivity, according to the study. Singapore, London and Chicago were found to be taking the lead in this aspect, each with large open data stores and strategies to entice private innovation.
Partnerships between the public and private sectors are essential in the development of smart city ecosystems that will empower citizens while minimising our carbon footprints.
Source: Business Times
Participate in the upcoming QS in conversation – “University-Public Sector Partnerships: Smart Cities” which will be held from 3-5 October 2018 in Singapore.