Future Perfect

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ustainable

cities

Led by Living PlanIT with Cisco Systems and Infusion as part-

ners, this initiative encourages independent developers to write

applications for retail and transportation uses. General Electric,

Hitachi Consulting Company and Philips have all recently formed

partnerships with Living PlanIT, with some considering locating

research and development resources at the Peninsula so that they

can integrate their technologies with the UOS and establish their

interests there. The companies will eventually work together to put

in place technology strategies that will optimize and integrate build-

ing control systems and promote utility efficiency. The collaboration

will lead to a wide range of new choices for residents, workers and

students at the the Peninsula, by enabling the development and

distribution of applications on the UOS platform – essentially a

Windows for the built environment.

To research and perfect new urban technologies at full scale,

Living PlanIT hopes to deploy its technologies with selected strategic

partners. Living PlanIT, the Lend Lease Corporation and Quintain

Estates Development are discussing the introduction of innovation

in real estate operation and efficiency at the Peninsula, using Living

PlanIT’s UOS as the centrepiece for management of the growing

digital community in London. The move is attracting major technol-

ogy companies to the Peninsula development, which is a £5 billion

programme that will create a new district of 10,000 homes along with

22,500 new jobs over the next decade.

Achieving sustainable development goals

The wider adoption of smart city concepts would impact on urgent

problems such as population growth, increasing urbanization,

climate change and resource depletion. These well-designed and

well-managed smart eco-cities can be net energy producers – carbon

neutral and powered by waste recycling and clean energy sources.

Smart cities can be cost-effective investments due to

efficiencies created in their planning, design, financing,

commissioning, construction and operations.

Smart technologies provide significant economic

development, growth and job creation opportunities

by opening up new production sectors. Public sector

investments for urban development can be significantly

reduced when financing smart sustainable cities in part-

nership with the private sector, because they are able

to become self-financing. New urban growth can be

absorbed in cost-effective ways to limit new slum and

informal settlements formation, particularly in least

developed countries. It is crucial that governments

provide the appropriate policies along with the fiscal

and regulatory environments to support private sector

collaboration.

Sustainable development policy

Despite these advantages, the widespread adoption

of smart cities requires the long-term commitment

of public institutions and private sector partners for

sustainable development to fully benefit from the latest

and best technology. Municipal governments need to

embrace smart city concepts in their planning, zoning

and regulatory requirements. Policies to stimulate

private sector innovation and promote the wider appli-

cation of smart city concepts need to be developed,

documented and disseminated.

Companies involved in smart city investment need to

engage with urban planners, architects, municipalities

and national governments on classifications and tech-

nology choices. There is also a need to design smart

city technologies for developing countries and capac-

ity-building to managing these, so that existing urban

software systems for municipal services, such as traffic

control, public lighting, waste treatment and energy

networks can be rationalized for efficiency gains.

The cost-effectiveness of investments in smart cities and

their capacity for innovative financing must be carefully

analysed to determine the positive impact of efficiencies

created from urban planning, architectural design, financ-

ing, commissioning, construction and operations.

A proof-of-concept smart city development is needed

to serve as a test bed for smart technologies; a centre

for publicizing innovation and an incubator for tech-

nology start-ups, demonstrating how public-private

engagement across multiple industries and levels

of government can work. This model city would be

designed to show that collaborative communities can

research, develop and demonstrate integrated urban

technical, economic and social infrastructure. It would

seek to integrate companies, education and government

into the urban environment.

In order to promote greater international cooperation

in this field, the terms, definitions and units of measure-

ment of smart eco-cities will require greater attention

so that they may contribute to establishing international

norms, standards and trade. The term ‘living cities’, as

described here, deserves careful consideration.

6 Mitre Passage is a green office building at the heart of central London’s newest

business district

Image: Quintain Estates and Development 2012