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Cities: Agents of change
in an urbanizing world
30 September 2011 - The world’s
population is not only growing – it is
urbanizing at a rapid rate. By 2050, according
to UN estimates, about 70 per cent of us will be
living in cities, compared with just over half
today. The global urban population is expected
to double to 6.4 billion, a challenging
prospect. Many cities, especially in the
developing world, are already feeling the strain
on limited resources as people flock from the
countryside in search of a better life for
themselves and their families. And although
cities occupy only 2 per cent of the earth’s
landmass, they are responsible for 80 per cent
of global energy consumption and half the
world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
If cities are to support future growth and
avoid potentially catastrophic environmental and
social repercussions, they need to act now to
‘future-proof’ urban infrastructure and ensure
that all their inhabitants have access to the
opportunities cities can offer. Information and
communication technologies (ICTs) can provide
solutions to many of the problems confronting
cities, helping to make them more
environmentally sustainable and economically
viable.
In terms of infrastructure, ICTs enable us to
manage our cities in innovative ways:
- Smart grids,
coupled with smart meters in
homes and businesses, produce
better matching of power supply
and demand, discourage waste and
permit integration of irregular
inputs from renewable energy
sources such as wind and solar
power.
- Smart water
systems lead to better
water management, including
collection and disposal of storm
water, rapid detection of
leakages and reduction of
wasteful use.
- Smart
buildings minimize
energy consumption – or power
themselves and feed energy back
into the electricity grid.
Lighting and appliances turn off
automatically when not in use.
- Smart street
lights come on only
when and where they are needed.
- Intelligent
transport systems cut
energy use, pollution and
traffic jams. In connected
cities GPS-based systems will
direct drivers to the nearest
available parking space and
manage traffic flows. Wireless
communications will enable fast,
flexible personalized public
transport to respond more
efficiently to customer needs.
- Smart electric
cars can act as
distributed storage devices for
electricity, charging from the
grid at off-peak times (or from
renewable energy sources) and
releasing electricity to the
grid when demand is higher.
- E-commerce,
teleconferencing and teleworking
reduce transport and travel
demands (and reduce the need to
construct energy-consuming
offices and shops). Less
commuting will also give people
more time to spend with their
families and take an active
interest in their local
communities.
ICTs can also help improve the lives of slum
dwellers, millions of whom have no access to the
means of communication and information that many
of us take for granted. Innovative ICT projects
have already proved their worth in such
countries as Brazil, India and Kenya, for
example, through providing access to employment
and training. But ICTs can do far more than
this, enabling the delivery of government
services online and giving small businesses in
slum areas the opportunity to participate in
e-commerce.
Perhaps most important of all, ICTs can
empower slum dwellers, often excluded from the
political process, by giving them access to
information and providing a means for them to
communicate, share their concerns and mobilize
for change. ICTs are thus a powerful tool for
local democracy and social inclusion.
ITU is working with its Members in a number
of ways to help make smart cities a reality and
to bridge the digital divide. On the occasion of
World Telecommunication and Information Society
Day 2010, with the theme ‘Better city, better
life with ICTs’, ITU called on its Members to:
- Promote sustainable urban
policies at the national level
by encouraging and investing in
ICTs for smart cities.
- Support ITU’s ongoing
work aimed at developing
standards in areas such as
intelligent transport systems,
smart grids and energy-efficient
buildings. ITU is also active in
UN Habitat’s World Urban
Campaign.
- Support ITU’s ongoing
work on the use of ICTs for
emergency communications for the
police, ambulance and fire
services.
- Identify priority
areas where ICTs can be used to
achieve equitable, sustainable
urban development for slum
dwellers.
- Connect all
institutions in urban areas. In
particular, ITU is urging Member
States, Sector Members and
partners to help
connect all schools by 2015.
Schools are community hubs, so
connecting schools means
connecting youth and others in
the community to knowledge and
information, in turn helping
them to find (and create)
employment, and aiding social
and economic development.
Digital Cities will also be a key topic on
the agenda of ITU Telecom World 2011, taking
place from 24-27 October 2011 in Geneva,
Switzerland the
Digital Cities’ 11 conference will focus on
the trends shaping global city development, and
will ask city mayors, leading urban developers
and experts in the provision of essential public
services for their views on the opportunities
and solutions offered by ICTs.
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