Page 69 - U4SSC Simple ways to be smart

Case Information Communication Outcomes

7 Smart street Lights use environmental Information is transmitted Energy savings
lighting conditions (e.g., ambient from the lights to the city for Lower costs, including
light and human presence) analysis using a network for maintenance
to turn on and off
Sensors are used to detect Reduced emissions
Usage patterns are environmental conditions
recorded and give Greater sense of safety
operational insights for residents
8 Public Schedules, location of Google maps (a well-known Passengers save time
transport stations, routes and modes and widely-used platform) is and cost by comparing
information of transport are collected in used to communicate with their options
system one place users.
Encourages use of
Trip duration and cost City shares transportation public transport,
information information with Google contributes to lower
Transit by uploading files emissions
Real-time departure and
arrival times, service alerts
9 Aquaponics Information about farming Online sharing of information Good source of food
for food methods, technical set-up needed to succeed for contexts with
security limited freshwater or
Information about markets, Partnering with researchers, land for agriculture and
access to finance and other agricultural organisations high market prices for
business matters and business incubators to vegetables and fish
support farmers
10 Conscious Information about the Face-to-face facilitated Proactive analysis of
crisis crises, responses and review process crises responses and
management consequences is collected Participatory tools to collect actions to improve in
and stored in city archives future.
views of the public
Analysis of the data using Share steps to implement Infuses a spirit of
defined tools prevention among the
recommendations in city
Input from the local annual plans residents
population

In these examples, it is observed that smart interventions always involve the collection of data and
its analysis as well as the communication of information between stakeholders. These two steps
are often improved by the use of technologies, but this is not always necessary. In circumstances
where knowledge is embedded in individuals, such as in Case 5 (student ambassadors) and Case 9
(researchers) the digital encoding of data may be inappropriate. Likewise, there are circumstances
(such as in Cases 4, 5 and 10) in which face-to-face human communication is more effective than
that mediated by technology.

Nevertheless, the analysis of interventions in terms of information and communication provides an
opportunity for cities to evaluate how each of these two aspects might be addressed more smartly,
including through the use of new technologies.

U4SSC: Simple ways to be smart 57