On Smart Cities (Toyota, Singapore, Saudi Arabia)
Last week, Toyota and its “Woven Planet’ subsidiary held a groundbreaking ceremony for their Woven City project and said it:
"Is a project that will demonstrate a human-centered approach to community development. The project will bring new technology to life in a real-world environment across a wide range of areas, such as automated driving, personal mobility, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI).
"Will have three types of streets interwoven with each other on the ground level, one dedicated to automated driving, one to pedestrians, and one to pedestrians with personal mobility vehicles.
"Will start with roughly 360 residents, mainly senior citizens, families with young children, and inventors and will eventually have a population of more than 2,000."
Note: The project is located near Mount Fuji, Japan
The Saudi Arabian government announced THE LINE, a 100-Mile-Long “Linear” city (Jan. 10, 2021), and said it:
“Is a blueprint for how people and planet can co-exist in harmony … a 170km belt of hyper-connected future communities, without cars and roads and built around nature, is a direct response to some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity today such as legacy infrastructure, pollution, traffic, and human congestion.
"Will comprise urban developments powered by 100% clean energy, providing pollution-free, healthier and more sustainable environments for residents. Mixed-use communities will be built around nature, instead of over it."
Note: THE LINE will cost about $500 billion - and extend from the mountains to the Red Sea.
Comments from the Government of Singapore on its Tengah project include:
“Tengah will be Singapore’s first smart and sustainable town, with green features and smart technologies.
"The key features of Tengah will revolve around nature and the community, to create an endearing town where future residents can experience being “At Home with Nature”.
"The roads will run beneath the town centre, freeing up spaces at ground level. With this separation of pedestrian roads from motor traffic, the heart of the town centre will be safe and friendly for walking, cycling, as well as for recreational activities."
Note: The project will support 42,000 units, the first set to complete in 2023.
OUR TAKE
Developing smart cities is a complex process that will require significant coordination among many stakeholders.
The use of artificial intelligence, sensors, mobility, clean energy, and other technologies will need to be balanced with concerns about privacy, the constraints on limited technical expertise and various social issues.
Bottom line: Technologies have been reshaping cities and societies for centuries. Their adoption can have unexpected positive and negative outcomes. Successful smart cities will require technologies that are reliable, easy to use, cost-effective, and that address community needs.