Answer to Question #180389 in Sociology for AMIT VIKAS MALKAR

Question

The city of Leh is the joint capital & the largest town of the union territory of Ladakh in India. Leh is at an altitude of 3,524 metres (11,562 ft), and is connected via National Highway 1 to Srinagar in the southwest and to Manali in the south via the Leh-Manali Highway. You have been invited as an external IT consultant by Government of India with a mandate to convert Leh into a “Smart City”

a. Which “Smart” city in the world will you choose as a benchmark to emulate some of the best practices of that city into Leh? Provide atleast 3 reasons with brief descriptions behind your choice of choosing that particular city as a benchmark? (5 Marks)

b. Suggest & describe atleast 2 innovative technology enabled services that you will introduce into Leh so that it can be called as a “Smart city”? (5 Marks

Answer 1

a) Smart cities are the ones which put digital technology and data to work so as to make better decisions and improve life quality. Comprehensively, real-time data provides agencies with enhanced ability of watching events as they develop, understand the change of demand patters and respond quickly with lower-cost solutions. As a result, the one “smart” city in the world I would choose for benchmarking is the city of Copenhagen which has the best plan for collecting and utilizing data to create a better business climate, greener city and provide citizens with a higher life quality.

i) Better Business Climate

The transformation of Copenhagen into a smart city has been driven by the establishment of Copenhagen Solutions Lab. This Lab has a large project named “Copenhagen Connecting,” an initiative which brings the government, citizens, research organizations and businesses together in building infrastructure to collect data for the city’s benefit. The collection of data from Wi-Fi access points allows researchers to create intelligent systems of traffic management that limit congestion and optimize traffic. The analysis of anonymized data is used in monitoring how cars, bikes and pedestrians move through the city therefore helping them direct traffic in real time, find parking spaces and perform street-lighting according to weather conditions. Also, citizens can link their vehicles and bikes into the network to prevent theft.

ii) Greener City

One of the reasons Copenhagen wins the award for best “smart city” is the use of data by Copenhagen Connecting to drive the city to a greener direction. As the todays cities continue to evolve and thrive, overcrowding, traffic and pollution can become a challenge therefore requiring innovation and creativity to tackle the problems. As a result, Copenhagen has demonstrated the use of technological power and big data insights to install sensors in sewers and garbage cans to optimize city services like waste management, trash removal and water sanitation.

iii) Inclusive Public Spaces

The development of inclusive public spaces has made Copenhagen a city for the people by achieving balance between spaces for specific uses and public spaces for the whole population. Copenhagen has progressed towards the development of attractive public spaces as demonstrated by the increase in facilities which offer greater leisure activities and installed outdoor urban furniture throughout the city.

b)

i)Smart grids. These are an important technology in smart cities. The improved flexibility of the smart grid permits greater penetration of highly variable renewable energy sources such as solar power and wind power. Mobile devices (such as smartphones, tablets) are another key technology allowing citizens to connect to the smart city services.

ii) Electronic cards. They're also known as smart cards. They are another common component in smart city contexts. These cards possess a unique encrypted identifier that allows the owner to log into a range of government provided services (or e-services) without setting up multiple accounts. The single identifier allows governments to aggregate data about citizens and their preferences to improve the provision of services and to determine common interests of groups. This technology has been implemented in Southampton.