by Shane Henson — November 29, 2013—Facilities owners and managers in cities where municipal leaders and planners are working toward making their city smarter through the use of innovative technology may soon experience the impact of a new publication from the Smart Cities Council. The Smart Cities Readiness Guide is designed to give the leaders and planners a better understanding of the steps they need to take for a successful transition.
According to the Washington, DC-based Smart Cities Council, the guide is the first comprehensive, vendor-neutral smart city handbook for city leaders and planners. Designed with input from leading smart city and urban planning experts, as well as top global technology companies, the guide enables city leaders to assess their current state of technology and its readiness to become a smart city.
The guide offers a collection of guidelines, best practices and more than 50 case studies, as well as 27 proven principles to follow in order to guarantee success and avoid pitfalls. The guide also includes vendor-neutral technology recommendations on all eight of a city’s most important responsibilities: the built environment, energy, telecommunications, transportation, water and waste water, health and human services, public safety, and payments.
“Over the next 20 years, the world’s 700 largest cities are projected to make a cumulative infrastructure investment of $30 to $40 trillion,” said founding Smart Cities Council Chairman Jesse Berst. “It is essential that they invest wisely. Because it was produced collaboratively by some of the world’s top smart city experts, the guide prepares city leaders to make informed decisions that will enhance the livability, workability and sustainability of their cities.”
An early version of Smart Cities Readiness Guide was introduced and beta-tested in summer 2013. In addition to input from more than 100 experts, the first draft was evaluated by progressive U.S. cities, including Baltimore, Dallas, Green Bay, Hartford and Orlando.
