The term “smart city” originates from the marketing strategies of large IT vendors. It has become synonymous with the city’s use of technology—especially advanced, emerging technologies. But cities are more than 5G, big data, driverless cars and artificial intelligence. They are key drivers of opportunity, prosperity and progress. Focusing on building “smart cities” may turn cities into technological projects . We’re talking about “users” not people; monthly, daily active users, not residents; stakeholders and subscribers, not citizens. It may also limit ways to improve the city or turn it into transactional work, focusing on immediate return on investment or achievements that can be distilled into KPIs. Truly smart cities understand the ambiguity of life and livelihoods, and they are driven by outcomes beyond the implementation of “solutions”. They are defined by the talents, relationships and sense of ownership of the residents, not the technology deployed there.
Where technology can play a role, its application must also be thoroughly thought out, taking into account the needs, realities and aspirations of city dwellers. Working with our country office team at UNDP, Guatemala City is using this approach to improve the way the city’s infrastructure, including parks and lighting, is managed. The city is standardizing materials and designs to reduce costs, save labor, and streamline the approval and distribution process to increase the speed and quality of repair and maintenance work. Everything is driven by the needs of citizens. Elsewhere in Latin America, major cities are looking beyond quantitative variables, considering well-being and other nuanced outcomes. Coordinating and implementing the complex work required to achieve these goals is far more difficult than deploying the latest application or installing another piece of smart street furniture. But we must go beyond the sales pitch and explore how we can make our cities a true platform — not just a technology platform — for inclusive and sustainable development. The well-being of the billions of people who call cities home in this world depends on it.
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