How can Smart Cities be a Force for Social Good?

Cities can often feel like lonely places, despite the crowds, and we’re often warned that pollution, social isolation and high costs are damaging to those who live in built-up urban areas. That doesn’t have to be the case. The smart cities of tomorrow will be a force for social good and transform the way we live.

Smart cities will help foster a sense of community and improve the lives of residents, and here are just a few ways in which they could revolutionise city life in the future.

Environment

Smart cities will see the recording and exchange of a multitude of rich data on everything from traffic congestion to climate conditions. Consequently, this can be tailored to monitor air quality and noise levels, both critical in maintaining a healthy city environment for residents and visitors. This will enable local authorities to make improvements which will benefit those who live in their communities.

Facilities

The information-based infrastructure such as smart hubs found on the streets of smart cities will also be able to deliver a host of services and facilities, providing locals with all the information they need. These can be used to set up free public Wi-Fi hotspots, charging points and offer free local calls, keeping everyone better connected.

In the interests of inclusivity, more will be done to assist those without access to technology to live fuller lives in the digital age. The elderly and those with disabilities can often feel excluded, as can those without the income to spend on technology, but that could change as cities become smarter.

Health and social care

Greater exchange of information about local events and provisions in smart cities will also mean residents can enjoy an increase in public access medical devices which could help save lives. In fact, the strategic placement of heart defibrillators is already coming into play. With minimal training, members of the public will be able to come to the aid of anyone suffering a cardiac arrest, potentially saving hundreds of lives every year.

With other social problems and mental health conditions on the rise too, public services could be linked to local charities and help residents and the public gain access to a wealth of resources, from food banks for the homeless to counselling services for those in need. By helping local services become more joined up, this could completely transform the services charities provide to the most vulnerable in our society.

Community

Smart cities will enjoy a much richer community spirit, harnessing the power of technology to bring people together so that they have access to all the services they need and can more easily conduct their day to day tasks, from paying bills to accessing free information and discovering the latest events in their local area. The impersonal cities of the past will disappear as more and more smart hubs like Pulse pop up which help residents and tourists alike embrace all the local area has to offer.

To find out more about the difference Pulse Smart Hubs could make to your city, contact us today.