Hong Kong cannot become a smart city without its people’s buy-in
Winnie Tang says the successes – and failures – elsewhere of efforts to harness technology for development underline the need to consult widely with industry players and among the community
The Hong Kong government has scheduled a public consultation later this year to formulate a blueprint for smart city development.
Actually, national governments and cities around the world are investing in this. In mainland China alone, more than 300 smart city pilot schemes are planned, all aiming to address the challenges of how to move people and things around; how to provide energy; how to keep people safe when more and more people are moving into cities from the countryside.
Hong Kong faces challenge from Singapore in ‘smart city’ planning
There appear to be three phases in a transition to a smart city. Phase 1 is characterised by technology providers promoting solutions to a society that has not fully appreciated the full benefits of these solutions or how they may affect the quality of life. An often discussed project is South Korea’s Songdo, which is a purpose-built smart city. Located close to Seoul and its international airport, the new development remains woefully under-occupied since its official launch in 2009, with far less than half of the commercial space in the district being used.
In Phase 2, forward-thinking administrators take the lead in determining the future of their city. In this phase, city administrators increasingly focus on technology solutions as a means to improve quality of life. One example is Rio’s sensor network to mitigate damage caused by landslides in the hillside favelas.
How Hong Kong can become a smart city with a connected future
In the past few years, Phase 3 has emerged, with leading cities beginning to encourage citizen’s “co-creation” models. One smart city project in Vienna, for example, is a partnership with the local energy company, Wien Energy, through which Vienna included its citizens as investors in local solar plants as contribution to the city’s 2050 renewable energy objectives. In addition, the project also brought citizen engagement in addressing affordable housing and gender equality into focus.
