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Three Generations of Evolving Smart Cities
During the last decade or so, as the notion of the Smart City became more and more popular, there is a transformation in how some cities manifest the concept. Overall, there seem to have been three distinct phases of how cities have embraced technology and development, moving from tech-company driven, to city government driven, to, finally, citizen driven. In this time, some cities moved from one phase to another linearly, while others have been stuck in one throughout their experiments with smart cities.
Asian cities are facing pressing and complex challenges: reducing pollution and mitigating the consequences of climate change, efficiently managing economic resources, and improving the quality of life of citizens. This report, published by the GSMA, identifies seven key recommendations for municipalities looking to implement smart city solutions.
The findings from the fourth edition of the Open Data Barometer show that while some governments are advancing towards these aims, open data remains the exception, not the rule. Why does this matter? Everyone should be able to access and use open data on an open web to allow them to participate fully in civic life. Without good data, it is impossible to hold governments to account for the decisions that they make, the policies they pass, and the money they budget and spend.
Despite its small size and population (4.7 million), Singapore plays a key role in the development of the two Asian giants of China (1.4 billion people) and India (1.3 billion people). Perhaps this should not be so surprising, since by being essentially a sovereign city-state and an international trade center that loves innovations and multinationals and draws clients from all over the world, Singapore has established itself as one of the models in the world for how a Smart City should be.