Recently there has been a lot of buzz around the term “intelligent cities.” Smart growth is now so passé. Instead we are treated to a glimpse of the future where technology will make our cities more intelligent, and thus our lives in them better. See, we can use our smart phones to find parking spaces! We can have some super computer somewhere monitor our energy use! We can use facebook to start revolutions!
Seriously, there are a lot of good things happening around the ideas of intelligent or smart cities.
Here are some of my thoughts on what makes a city truly smart:
1. Smart cities are food and water secure
2. Smart cities limit their exposure to the global economy
3. Smart cities invest in and practice inclusive community building
4. Smart cities put local first: local economies, local culture, local bio-region
5. Smart cities are adapting to a changed climate
6. Smart cities have true mobility choices
7. Smart cities engage youth early and deeply
8. Smart cities weave health living into everything
9. Smart cities develop renewable power sources and produce zero waste
10. Smart cities value holistic, lifelong learning
11. Smart cities adapt, reuse, densify, and diversify
I know there are others. Thoughts?
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