So we are in this now. Finally, we are going to update the infrastructure in the United States. A plan has been unveiled and discussions have begun. It seems that there is a lot of focus on how big the bill will be and how we will pay for these necessary improvements but, as a proponent of people-centric smart cities and data-driven societies I am just glad we are having the conversation. It is high time we start re-evaluating how we think about our cities and towns – how we expect them to be governed and what we consider as public goods.
Up until now we have been thinking about our cities and towns as products. New York is a slightly scruffy but charming product. The city government is progressive and innovative and they use data to create programs and develop infrastructure to be used across the city. Upgrades to the public transport system and access to green space is meticulously discussed and planned by officials so as to maintain the quality of the product. Detroit is a different product. It is currently a downtrodden fighter with a glorious past and a dominant sector that is looking to play the role as savior in its resurgence on the world scene. The city government of Detroit has plans to overhaul the city’s offering with a well laid-out plan on how to bring about an increase in welfare and happiness for its inhabitants. Pedestrian infrastructure, greening of main routes and more efficient parking are all part of the plan put together by the city to renew the dated product.
But we should change the way we look at city development and change our idea of what is expected of our governments. We live in a time in history when technology is changing the way we live at a rapid pace. This new technology, if used correctly, can serve as the backbone of our cities. High-frequency 5G infrastructure can enable the coordination of a suite of connected devices that allow our cities to run maintenance services efficiently and at low cost which can bring dynamic changes to industrial processes as well as the lives of citizens. Right now 5G is being launched by telecom companies as the new and greatest thing for consumers and large manufacturers are looking to invest in 5G networks for their private factories. But it would be better if connectivity was a public good and right assured to all people. In the US that means that cities would have 5G infrastructure and rural areas would have consistent Internet coverage so that they are empowered to take advantage of smart service offerings. This would also allow everyone to use the reliable connections to build services, both public and private, without the danger of price gouging or shifts in strategy. This is called a city-as-a-platform because instead of unveiling the end product itself, the city government looks to create a platform of tools to be used to make constant improvements based on data and the changing priorities.
A city-as-a-platform would rewrite the rules on city governance. It would allow the city to become more adaptable to future development and it would remove the need for policy makers to create city technology. In NYC for example, the Mayor’s Office for Data Analytics is playing a pivotal role in publishing city data and teaching citizens how to access and analyze it. This change in expectation of city officials from creators to regulators will not only bring transparency to city governance but it will bring a wider diversity of voices to the mix. And this is what we need in the United States in 2021.
When I heard the news of the infrastructure plan I danced around my kitchen “raising the roof”. I did this not just because I’m kind of dorky but because I believe that an upgrade of this nation’s infrastructure is long overdue and this is a chance to change the way we think about and interact with our environment. Equitable development is the only option for us to survive as a country and as a planet and for that we need everyone’s involvement and the tools to develop better solutions. Connectivity is becoming a primary need in our smart world and everyone should have access to it. We need smarter cities and we need our cities to be platforms not products.
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