Bangladesh’s first greenfield smart city is a technologically modern urban area that uses electronic methods and sensors to collect specific data. The information gained from that data is used to manage assets, resources, and services efficiently. In return, that data is used to improve operations across the city. This includes data collected from citizens, devices, buildings, and assets that are processed and analyzed to monitor and manage traffic and transportation systems, power plants, utilities, water supply networks, waste, criminal investigations, information systems, schools, libraries, hospitals, and other community services. Smart cities are defined as smart both in how their governments harness technology and in how they monitor, analyze, plan, and govern the city. In smart cities, data sharing is not limited to the city itself but also includes businesses, citizens, and other third parties that can benefit from various uses of that data. Sharing data from different systems and sectors creates opportunities for increased understanding and economic benefits.
The smart city concept integrates information and communication technology (‘ICT’) and various physical devices connected to the Internet of Things (‘IoT’) network to optimize the efficiency of city operations and services and connect to citizens. Smart city technology allows city officials to interact directly with community and city infrastructure and monitor what is happening in the city and how the city is evolving. ICT enhances the quality, performance, interactivity of urban services, reduces costs, resource consumption, and increases contact between citizens as well as government. Smart city applications are developed to manage urban flows and allow for real-time responses. A smart city may therefore be more prepared to respond to challenges than one with a conventional “transactional” relationship with its citizens. Yet, the term itself still needs to be clarified in its specifics and, therefore, is open to many interpretations. Many cities have already adopted some smart city technology.
