How Thailand, Melbourne And Singapore Are Creating Cities Of Tomorrow

Malaysia can look to these cities as examples in our efforts Penang into smart cities.

- Shaun Ryan

The world’s population is rapidly growing, mostly in urban areas, and the organic way in which these cities have evolved to date is no longer a viable option. They need to embrace a digital way of life to sustain this growth, but it also has to be liveable.

To achieve this, a government must have a clear direction of where their nation is heading. This includes exploring futuristic solutions to enhance the economic prosperity, a sense of community, and the overall health of its citizens.

Building a smart city or nation is one of the steps that governments can take to implement their vision of the future – but as the focus invariably shifts to the disruptive technologies that enable them, it is imperative for governments to retain focus on the human aspect in a world that feels increasingly impersonal: tech driven and virtual. That’s what we called Intelligent Digital.

The next evolution

The urbanisation of the world continues to expand. According to the United Nations, 68% of the world’s population is projected to live in urban centres by 2050, with 90% of this growth taking place in Asia and Africa. For governments, these figures point to an increasingly urgent imperative: one that will require technology and strategy to create connected cities that can grow sustainably while improving quality of life.

The most successful smart cities keep their citizens’ experience at the forefront, while embracing technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data to create positive outcomes for inhabitants and higher profits for local industries.