School of CitiesRamz Aziz

Smart CityTransformationEquitable Considerations for the World of Tomorrow

© 2019. Ramz Aziz

School of Cities

Roadmap

1. What are “Smart Cities”?2. Features of a Smart City3. Use Cases of Smart Technologies4. Barriers to Change

1. The Digital Divide2. A New Era of Privacy

5. A Framework for a Digitally Inclusive Smart City

© 2019. Ramz Aziz

School of Cities

The Evolution of Cities

• Rapid urbanization – a hallmark of our times

• >50% of the world’s population lives in cities as of 2008

• Cities produce 60-80% of the world’s pollution

© 2019. Ramz Aziz

School of Cities

What is a “Smart” City?

• No one definition exists of what constitutes “smart”

© 2019. Ramz Aziz

School of Cities

Core Features of a Smart CityThere are defining characteristics of what a smart city should be like

Connected Responsive Optimized

© 2019. Ramz Aziz

School of Cities

Integration of Smart Technologies

Data

IoT

5G

AI

Blockchain

Edge Computing

Quantum

Smart Cities necessitate the coordinated deployment of new wave tech powered by data

• Data Trusts• Ownership of Personal and

Aggregate Data?

© 2019. Ramz Aziz

School of Cities

Use Cases by Sector

Health Transportation

Housing Sustainability

New technologies are poised to radically alter the way communities live and organize

• AV technology in public/private transport

• Shared transport-on-demand

• Smart traffic lights

• Monitoring local energy consumption

• Managing waste flow• Reducing carbon

footprint

• Smart sensors in the home

• Shelter availability

• Use of local infrastructure

• IoT Enhanced Ambulances

• Remote Diagnosis• Precision

Medicine

© 2019. Ramz Aziz

School of Cities

Notable Implementations

Health Transportation

Housing Sustainability

© 2019. Ramz Aziz

School of Cities

Barriers to TransformationCosts of change can lead to resistance in the adoption of smart technologies

RELIABILITY PREDICTABILITY SAFETY

• Does it perform well consistently, accurately and precisely?

• Does it perform according to human judgement?

• Does it pose threats to human health and wellbeing?

© 2019. Ramz Aziz

School of Cities

The Digital DivideEquitable considerations arise upon implementation of technologies across a given area

1

2

3

EDUCATION

ACCESS

AFFORDABILITY

• Digital Equity• Legacy Infrastructure

• Digital Literacy• Digital Skills Gap

• Disposable Income• Financial Literacy

© 2019. Ramz Aziz

School of Cities

A New Era of Privacy

Go/No-Go ZonesData Subject Rights

Privacy Impact Assessment

FEDERAL

PROVINC IAL

MU N IC IPAL

Standardization of Data Flows

Data Rights Charter

Digital Charter

© 2019. Ramz Aziz

School of Cities

A Framework for Digital InclusionCities must adopt inclusive design in their transformation strategies• Chicago – Digital Access Maturity Model (DAMM)• AT&T – Smart Cities for All Inclusive Innovation Playbook• Huawei – Tech4All Initiative

© 2019. Ramz Aziz

School of Cities

Planning for the Future

x

y

Regulatory Change Readiness

Relative Potential Impact for Stakeholder/Government Department/Industry/Economy

x –axis =

y - axis =

Low

Low

High

High

POLICY ACTION

REQUIRED

DO NOTHINGOBSERVE AND

MONITOR GLOBALPOLICY TRENDS

CO-CREATE POLICY WITH

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

1

Quantum

AI

BlockchainIoT

Nano

Robotics

AutonomousVehicles

23

4

© 2019. Ramz Aziz

School of Cities

Thank you!

Ramz Aziz (2019). Guidelines for an Equitable Approach to Smart City Transformation. Toronto: CA. School of cities, University of Toronto.