Singapore topped the worldwide smart city rankings conducted by Juniper Research.
The 2017 Global Smart City Performance Index, published on March 12, included model scenarios in 4 areas – mobility, health, safety and productivity – to explore the advantages of smart city initiatives for residents in 20 cities. Specifically, it aimed to measure how technology allowed people to save lots of time and improve their quality of life.
Singapore topped the index in all 4 areas, overtaking other major cities equivalent to San Francisco, Seoul, London and New York within the study sponsored by technology company Intel. They were conducted from July to September last yr.
The report notes that within the mobility space, Singapore has adopted “smart connected traffic solutions” combined with a really strong automotive ownership policy to scale back the variety of vehicles on the road.
It also highlighted Singapore’s deal with providing healthcare services to older people through a spread of technologies, including digital service platforms and distant monitoring devices. On security, the report noted that Singapore has begun trials to make use of intelligent video surveillance to detect criminal activity.
Additionally, the report said Singapore is a pacesetter in enabling residents to access digital services and city information through its “large, open data stores” and “strategies to encourage private innovation” through specialized testing environments.
“Analysts tend to focus on the technical underpinnings of building a data-centric world,” said Windsor Holden, head of forecasting and consulting at Juniper Research. “We cannot overlook the importance of the real benefits for people that smart cities bring. Connected communities, services and urban processes have a huge impact on the quality of life of citizens.”
According to Intel, “smart cities” use Internet of Things technologies equivalent to connected sensors, meters and lighting to gather and analyze data to enhance public infrastructure and services.
The study notes that Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative and its position as a city-state make the country unique in its ability to appreciate its smart city vision.
“Singapore has been praised for its rapid transformation since independence into the world’s leading smart city and held up as an example from which other cities can learn,” Intel said in a press release on Tuesday.
Source : Channel NewsAsia
