What Are Smart Cities, and Are They Safer?

Smart cities utilize information and communication technologies to provide administrative duties over the municipality’s assets, including transportation, schools, libraries, law enforcement, and more. Several cities around the world have already implemented smart city functions into their bureaucratic functions, and some are even in the US.

Last year, the US Department of Transportation announced that they would be investing $165 million in smart city solutions. Denver, for example, will get $6 million to aid drivers during traffic congestion, while Pittsburgh will get about $11 million for smart traffic lights.

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A Closer Look: Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio has already began implementing “smart security technology to improve public safety.” Specifically, they have citywide surveillance to help aid their law enforcement and police officers keep citizens safe. Cameras installed in downtown business areas help monitor criminal activity throughout the city.

Cameras are also installed on riverfronts and in residential neighborhoods to help ensure security for the residents of Cincinnati. These monitors also gauge weather conditions and can help signal the city if there is inclement weather on the horizon. Moreover, the monitors can help contain hazardous spills.

Are Smart Cities Actually Much Safer?

Not necessarily. Smart cities are highly contentious in political discourse, as threats of government spying are frequently mentioned by skeptics. Specifically, some people fear a shift towards a 1984-like dystopia where the government monitors every movement of its citizens.

Additionally, big data collection has raised questions about privacy and the violation of our 4th amendment rights. In particular, some are worried about how this big data collection might transfer to predictive policing and racially biased law enforcement methods.

Outside of individual rights and civil liberties, others are concerned about hacking issues with smart cities. In particular, hacking has become more and more of an issue as innovative new technologies have proliferated. Hackers have already found ways to hack computers, cell phones, drones, manual vehicles, and more.

So who’s to say that hackers won’t try and take advantage of smart cities? It will be especially difficult for local governments to battle these data breaches, given the limited tax revenue they face. However, if cities wish to successfully implement smart technologies, they must consider several preventative measures that help deter hacking and data breaches.