We recently launched our Top Tips for Smart City Success blog series, which aims to provide a number of core insights into how smart cities are making a positive impact around the world. In our second installment, Top Tip #1, we look at leadership and how crucial this is in smart city strategies.
In order to ensure citizens are provided with the best services and improvements it is important city leaders first understand the key challenges facing cities and how best to tackle them. Smart solutions are just some of many considerations and can enhance the quality of life now and in the future.
Guide the Way
In research we commissioned in 2017, it was found that smart city projects usually don’t reach further development due to a lack of leadership, prioritization or collaboration. By ensuring you understand the potential of smart city and smart lighting solutions, you can take the reins on guiding the project.
The nature of your role as a city leader or mayor gives you the opportunity to take your borough on the enlightened path to becoming a smart city. Taking a leadership stance on selecting the smart solutions that will combat key challenges and enhance existing services, by communicating at all levels for complete understanding, you can help shape a bespoke and effective system.
Identify key areas for improvement
Identify the key areas smart infrastructure can help enhance. Whether it’s installing sensors to monitor traffic flow and improve mobility, or developing applications to update residents on public transport services; the needs of your citizens will help to shape what drives your smart city development objectives.
Objectives will help to form an over-arching strategy that identifies the key problems smart lighting can solve. This will offer clarity and help all involved understand a set of agreed goals that everyone can work towards, both within your council and alongside collaborative partners.
Knowledge is Key
As the concept of the smart city evolves, so does the number of solutions and applications. Your objectives will help to rule out any solutions that do not support your on-going smart city project or meet the needs of residents. If your citizens require improved transport services, solutions around connectivity might be appealing but won’t deliver the right applications for your town’s specific needs; this will result in failure to entirely meet objectives.
Prevent this by working alongside industry specialists in the field that best suits your requirements. Tapping into their technical knowledgebase, to better understand the fundamentals of specific applications, will reinforce your role as a leader while helping provide a bespoke and effective solution that fits with your overall strategy.
You can help shape how your city is built both now and in the future, by ensuring you understand the challenges on the street and finsding solutions that overcome them.
Next week is all about sustainability and scalability, when it comes to your smart city business case.
