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Smart Cities, Better Lives: Transforming Urban Governance for a Brighter Future

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Smart City

In recent years, with the continuous application of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and 5G communication networks, countries around the world have accelerated their exploration of smart city development. Countries like Italy, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia have taken innovative measures to enhance scientific, refined, and intelligent urban management, improve the quality of life for their citizens, and create unique pathways for smart city development.

Developing Diverse Smart City Models

In Florence, Italy, the Smart City Control Center allows staff to monitor real-time traffic congestion and public transportation operations on key city routes through a digital screen. The municipal government utilizes more than 1,600 cameras across the city to monitor traffic and safety conditions in real-time. Currently, the city has established traffic and police dispatch centers at the Smart City Control Center, and plans to integrate with logistics, utilities, and sanitation departments in the future to improve public service quality and more effectively handle emergencies.

The Italian government launched the “Smart Italy” project in 2019, led by the Ministry of Technological Innovation and Digital Transformation, in collaboration with various government departments, setting up smart city innovation laboratories in 11 cities to study how to enhance smart city construction in areas such as mobility and sustainable development. Statistics show that over one-fifth of Italian cities have already initiated smart city projects, making Italy one of the EU countries with the most smart cities. In 2023, the market size of Italy’s smart city projects exceeded one billion euros for the first time.

Italian cities have also developed various smart city models based on their characteristics and needs. For example, Florence emphasizes green and low-carbon initiatives as a key aspect of its smart city development. The city applies intelligent irrigation systems to urban green spaces, which use sensors to measure soil temperature and humidity and irrigate according to actual needs, saving 30% of irrigation water annually. The government of Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, cooperates with network companies to install smart sensors throughout the city to collect data and upload it to a smart digital platform for controlling tourist flows, detecting air quality, and monitoring microclimates. The Cagliari government has stated that this project will enhance municipal service levels, and they will explore using smart mobile devices to publish related data to citizens in the future.

Milan established a smart city development document in 2014, prioritizing areas such as environmental and energy policies and sustainable transportation. Driven by the Milan municipal government and business associations, Milan established the Smart City Alliance to coordinate government and business collaboration in smart communities, cybersecurity, energy supply, and risk assessment. In its smart city development report, the Milan municipal government stated that it continuously improves urban digital infrastructure and establishes a connection mechanism between municipal departments and relevant databases, helping to achieve more efficient and smooth coordination across all aspects of public services, thus providing citizens with a convenient and comfortable smart city experience.

Enhancing Digital Governance in Public Administration

The government of Pattaya, Thailand, recently signed a cooperation agreement with Thailand’s National Telecom Public Company Limited to integrate advanced technologies such as 5G internet, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things to enhance the city’s digital capabilities. A key component of this plan involves installing smart poles in Pattaya to improve 5G network coverage.

In recent years, Thailand has actively leveraged various strengths to promote smart city construction. In November last year, during the 2023 Thailand Smart City Expo, the Thai Ministry of Commerce announced plans to build 105 smart cities nationwide by 2027. Thailand has incorporated its smart city development plan into the national agenda, aiming to achieve sustainable economic growth and resilient urban development.

To achieve its smart city goals, the Thai government actively utilizes digital technologies for public administration. The Thailand Digital Government Development Agency has developed a mobile application that offers more than 112 public services. This year, the agency plans to include more services in the app, such as land tax checks, personal insurance information inquiries, and interest payments. The Thailand Digital Economy Promotion Agency, in cooperation with the Thailand Board of Investment, has introduced measures to encourage enterprises to participate in smart city investments and construction, offering incentives like tax reductions. The Digital Government Development Agency has also established the Thailand Digital Government Academy to help improve the digital skills of government officials, with over 1.9 million officials having received training to date.

The Thai government plans to develop existing “provincial hub cities” into “smart cities” with one or more innovative advantages. To receive “smart city” certification, a city must meet standards in at least one area, such as smart communication, smart living, or smart healthcare. So far, 36 cities in 25 provinces across Thailand have been certified as “smart cities.”

A relevant official from Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society stated that in the future, IoT and big data technologies will be introduced in areas such as environmental governance, pollution reduction, and disaster response to enhance the precision of urban management. Wanlop Suwandee, Chairman of the Advisory Committee to the Governor of Bangkok, emphasized that smart cities offer an effective solution to challenges faced in urban development. They can relieve pressure on existing infrastructure, prevent environmental degradation, alleviate traffic congestion, better prevent crime, and improve energy efficiency.

Optimizing and Enhancing Citizen Convenience

In Saudi Arabia’s northwest Tabuk province, the construction of the futuristic city NEOM is underway. This smart city project, with a total investment of $500 billion, spans an area of 26,500 square kilometers and is a model of smart city development under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Among its plans, the “Linear City” project is the most notable. Covering just 34 square kilometers, it is designed to accommodate 9 million people, powered entirely by renewable energy. The “Linear City” is planned with a “walkable” foundation, where urban efficiency is greatly enhanced through smart solutions. Residents can access daily necessities within a five-minute walk, and an efficient public transportation network ensures that one-way commutes within the city take no more than 20 minutes.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has actively advanced smart city construction. In 2017, Saudi Arabia launched its first smart city plan, focusing on enhancing urban intelligence. Cities such as Riyadh and Jeddah have accelerated their smart city development. In 2022, Saudi Arabia introduced a new smart city strategy aimed at upgrading municipal and housing sectors to smart services through digital technologies like IoT.

The Saudi Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing has proposed more than 50 initiatives in nine areas, including smart parking, environmental protection and waste management, housing and community management, land and asset management, urban landscape beautification, and urban planning, all to improve urban governance by 2030.

Several cities in Saudi Arabia are actively exploring smart city construction. For example, Yanbu is improving municipal management efficiency, public safety, and living environment through smart applications such as intelligent street lighting, smart energy efficiency monitoring, crowd density analysis, smart manhole covers, and integrated performance evaluation. Jeddah has launched IoT-based waste management solutions to enhance cleanliness efficiency. Dammam has introduced a new application to improve the smart management of parking lots, making it easier for residents to find available parking spaces.

Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, President of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, stated that advancing smart city construction is significant for promoting sustainable urban development. It not only facilitates better urban development but also “makes citizens’ lives better.”

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