The wave of Industry 4.0, driven by the rapid advancement of digital technologies, is creating significant shifts in societal development directions. It is notably impacting production methods and operations, social interactions, and fostering urban development, among other areas.
Digital technology also plays a crucial role in providing a revolutionary and groundbreaking scientific impetus to drive urban development in a new direction. The outcome of this advancement is the “digital urban design model based on fostering human-computer interaction.” The future of urban design will move toward a novel approach to studying more complex urban engineering, capable of responding to and aligning with various long-term development objectives.
The application of technology accelerates and enhances urban planning and development
Modern technologies such as blockchain and virtual reality have been applied in various industries. For example, in the fashion industry, these technologies enable production and distribution to be aligned with constantly updated trends and consumer preferences. From sketch designs to store shelves, every aspect of the fashion industry is automated and enhanced by technology, resulting in faster production, more efficient inventory management, and improved retail experiences that attract customers both online and offline.
Similarly, in urban construction and development, the integration of connected devices with breakthrough technologies provides opportunities to regenerate and transform spaces such as homes, offices, factories, farms, healthcare facilities, and public areas. These spaces become modernized, adaptable, and capable of predicting emerging needs. New models of public-private partnerships and shared urban services are redefining how cities deliver services to citizens and businesses while gradually erasing the boundaries between government and the private sector.
Today’s consumers enjoy the convenience of digital services provided by private enterprises that excel in this field. As a result, most consumers expect government services to reach similar levels of efficiency and quality. Failing to meet these expectations could increase negative perceptions of government services.
While many city governments aim to enhance services by adopting more IT solutions, there remains a gap between what citizens desire and what they currently receive. Urban planners must take responsibility for developing city areas by setting goals, collecting data, analyzing trends, forecasting, and consulting to create environments that best meet citizens’ needs while adhering to government regulations and directives.
Technology is becoming increasingly crucial in urban planning, not only because of the benefits it brings but also due to the consequences of urban development and the ongoing changes that need to be carefully anticipated. Proper forecasting and planning are essential to avoid unnecessary waste and inefficiencies (2).
The primary focus of technological activities will be on maximizing the collection of data generated within urban components, conducting advanced analyses to develop applications for the digital economy, digital governance, and a digital society (1) (2):
- Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G development: Along with the explosion of the Internet, seamless and synchronized data connectivity has become more accessible, bringing numerous benefits to urban areas. These include significant impacts on economic activities, urban management, and citizen interactions.
- Big Data and advanced data analytics: Urban-generated big data includes information from smart urban systems (static data, records, etc.), accounting for approximately 5-10% of the total data, and dynamic and interactive data from citizen-to-citizen interactions and citizen interactions with urban activities, which make up around 90%.
- AI & Cognitive Computing: These platforms encompass machine learning, reasoning, natural language processing, speech recognition, computer vision, human-computer interaction, conversational AI, narrative generation, and other technologies. Human and machine actions evolve together as a team, leveraging technology for smarter work processes.
- Predictive Government – Prioritizing prevention over correction: Governments worldwide are increasingly adopting cognitive science-based approaches to decision-making. This approach relies on past evidence, real-time data, and future forecasts to develop effective policies.
- Metaverse & Digital Twin City Applications: The metaverse is proposed as an evolution of current Internet technologies. Devices accessing the metaverse include multifunction computers, smartphones, and augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), virtual reality (VR), and virtual worlds. Digital Twin City creates a digital twin for urban management and operations.
Urban spaces are facing several challenges affecting the quality of life, necessitating a shift towards sustainable development and improved lifestyles for citizens. First, with the increasing rate of migration to cities, observers have recently emphasized the need for rapid and intelligent interventions to address the swift changes in lifestyle, including luxury residential areas pushing lower-middle-income individuals farther away from their workplaces.
Second, urban managers are under pressure to optimize land use for infrastructure and buildings while maintaining cultural and social aspects of the community without negatively impacting the natural environment. Therefore, the integration of smart technologies in urban sustainability is required in areas such as energy management, digital construction, waste and environmental management, smart healthcare, and economic development.
Although applying sustainable technologies in urban development is a significant challenge, administrators sometimes fail to manage potential risks that could lead to long-term consequences. While new technologies can help reduce capital investment and certain risks associated with urban development, other factors might push outcomes in an opposing direction.
Climate change could be one of the most significant consequences, with the risk of hazardous weather events impacting daily activities, becoming an increasingly relevant factor in considerations for promoting urbanization through technology. Therefore, it is essential to carefully accelerate the process of technology-driven urbanization to balance all future activities effectively.
References
- PwC. A New Urban Agenda: Accommodating 2 billion new urban citizens
- McKinsey. 2021 Infrastructure options for the future of cities
- Forbes. 2021 The Journey From Smart Buildings To Cognitive Cities
- Cognitivetimes. 2020 Built for you the cities of tomorrow
