https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Commentaries


Commentary

Roadmap to a smart city master plan

Roadmap to a smart city master plan

  • Written by Clint Vince and Jennifer Morrissey
  • 11th December 2019

Cities have a unique opportunity to enable the seamless integration of new technologies that will help meet societal challenges, while efficiently and equitably providing essential services to residents and businesses. The digitization and electrification of technologies, sharp increase in the quantity and speed of data transmitted, and rapid rise of artificial intelligence all offer cities substantially greater insight into system operations, and the means to improve communications, response times, livability, sustainability and resiliency.

At its essence, a smart city is about the modernization of digital, physical and social infrastructure to improve the lives of its citizens. Whether dubbed “smart” or “connected” or “modernized,” the idea is to build on foundations that are already in place while keeping pace with the confluence of massive urbanization and rapid advances in technology. A smart city strategy uses technology and data to manage change and expand capacities to enhance city operations and make maximal use of resources, both new and existing and across all departments.

Upgrades such as a multidirectional electrical grid, self-healing electric circuits, advanced telecommunications, sensors, electric and autonomous vehicle infrastructure, and the like, will make life dramatically more convenient for community inhabitants while enabling the government to more effectively respond to environmental stresses. A smart city strategy also provides an extraordinary opportunity to ensure that these systems support public safety, disaster response, traffic management, public transit and universal access to the internet, all in a manner that preserves the character of the community and is responsive to the needs of all its residents. But to accomplish this, city leaders, utilities, businesses, citizens and other stakeholders must work together toward a shared vision of their future.

The first step toward harnessing technological developments for the benefit of a city’s inhabitants is to develop a smart city master plan. Importantly, a smart master plan is neither an advocacy document nor a recommendation for any specific technology. Rather, a smart master plan defines the common goals and aspirations of the community and its leaders and outlines an implementation strategy for achieving those goals.

A successful initiative will craft the smart master plan with input from, and the cooperation of, all stakeholders. An inclusive process that gives both residents and businesses a voice in shaping their city or community should be established. The plan should not be a document drafted by a politician, consultant, tech company or other third party and then handed over to city departments for implementation. Nor should it be a document that is easily discarded or ignored when a change in administration occurs. It should be considered a living document with community support over the longer-term.

A smart master plan should first articulate the vision of the community. It should complement and take full advantage of improvement efforts currently underway, but also be an adaptable platform to integrate new technological advances as they become available and new common goals as they are adopted.

Step two is to conduct an audit of existing infrastructure to identify where there is a disconnect between your capabilities and your core needs. Infrastructure includes physical assets and available data, but also social constructs and values of the community. An effective, actionable smart audit will do more than simply list city assets. It will bring to light opportunities to leverage data, streamline operations, improve governance structures, boost economic welfare within the community and reach under-served communities.

Though tailored for a specific community, a smart master plan may also be informed by lessons learned and best practices developed in other communities dealing with similar issues. Building a smart city/community requires bringing together existing infrastructure, local history and culture, urban issues, and citizen priorities, and interweaving them with new technological structures, developments, and ideas in a holistic manner to address needs and solve problems in a tapestry that is constantly changing. The implementation of any smart master plan necessarily involves a degree of learning and experimentation.

A community can leverage the experience of others to enhance its own initiatives.

Next, the smart master plan should identify potential partners, as well as funding and financing mechanisms, for smart infrastructure deployment. There is plenty of room for creativity in structuring projects and funding, and there will be opportunities for involvement of traditional city planners, technologists, and institutions as well as many asymmetrical players.

Because a smart city/community is a progression rather than an end, a smart city master plan should allow for refinement and adaptation as circumstances, priorities and technologies evolve; include regular assessments to ensure that it is on track to meet current objectives; and include mechanisms for accountability and clear measures of success that are accessible and understandable.

Finally, while advances in technology are the vehicle that makes improved coordination and integration of services possible, a smart city/community is first and foremost about people. All aspects of a smart city/community should be driven by the needs and desires of community inhabitants as they seek a better quality of life, easier access to information and the efficient delivery of services. A solid smart city master plan to modernize infrastructure will be permeated by this essential theme and will benefit the lives of all citizens in the community.

 

Clint Vince, is chair, U.S. Energy Practice and the co-chair, Global Energy Sector at Dentons. Jennifer Morrissey is co-editor-in-chief, Dentons Smart Cities Think Tank Editorial Board and counsel, US Energy Practice, Global Energy Sector at Dentons.

Tags: Smart Cities & Technology Commentaries Commentary

Most Recent


  • cybersecurity
    How state and local CIOs can prioritize security, cloud and legacy systems
    NASCIO recently released the annual State CIO Top Ten Policy and Technology Priorities for 2023—and cybersecurity and risk management, legacy modernization and cloud services rank near the top. With rising cybersecurity concerns, a growing emphasis on upgrading legacy systems, and a desire for more flexible, cloud-based technology, CIOs are focused on solutions that efficiently and […]
  • cloud services
    Cloud services: A cloudy forecast for state and local governments
    Cloud services continues to grow exponentially making it flourish into a multi-billion-dollar industry. According to a survey by Synergy Research Group, the global cloud infrastructure services market grew by 35 percent in 2020, with the top five cloud providers (Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Google, Alibaba and IBM) capturing more than 70 percent of the market […]
  • cyber threats
    Four ways to protect resident data in the era of digital-first government
    Bad actors and cyber extortionists are continually staging attacks on public sector properties, making enterprise-grade security essential for every local government website. From small villages to counties with millions of residents, hackers increasingly target public sector websites with cyber threats like malware, ransomware, trojans and viruses. Even a relatively minor breach or infection can lead […]
  • wildfire
    Report: Technology can aid wildfire response that's 'stuck in the last century'
    With each passing season, the growing threat of wildfire and its impact on life safety, property, and the economy is underscored by dramatic fire events that ecologically alter entire regions, uproot communities and cost taxpayers billions of dollars. Last year, 68,988 wildfires burned 7.6 million acres of American land. And as of the end of […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • MS-ISAC members get free access to Deloitte’s Cyber Detect and Respond Portal to help respond to cyber threats
  • North Texas alliance partners with Marketplace.city on smart government solutions
  • Harris County deploys next-generation security in 150 public buildings
  • Prioritizing rapid restore leads to stronger ransomware attack recovery

WHITE PAPERS


Digital Government Service Delivery – A Guide for Buyers

23rd February 2023

Modernizing government services for today’s resident expectations

24th January 2023

Preparing Your Community Now for the Next Generation of Older Adults

18th October 2022
view all

Webinars


Future-proof Your State and Local Government Finance: 5 Key Trends for 2023

6th February 2023

How To: Evaluate Digital Government Service Delivery Technologies

23rd January 2023

Using Technology to Enhance Communications

29th November 2022
view all

Podcast


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


Gallery: America’s top 10 bicycle-friendly cities

20th March 2023

Gallery: Top 10 hardest working American cities

8th March 2023

Gallery: Top 10 least expensive American metro areas

24th February 2023
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

How state and local CIOs can prioritize security, cloud and legacy systems dlvr.it/SlK7H1

22nd March 2023
AmerCityCounty

Addressing the housing crises requires creativity, collaboration dlvr.it/SlGTFz

21st March 2023
AmerCityCounty

St. Louis Communities Boost Great Energy Savings dlvr.it/SlFyV0

21st March 2023
AmerCityCounty

How Can Public Sector Best Tackle Their Unique Storage Needs? dlvr.it/SlFxXk

21st March 2023
AmerCityCounty

Taking a higher priority dlvr.it/SlFSrf

21st March 2023
AmerCityCounty

Gallery: America’s top 10 bicycle-friendly cities dlvr.it/SlCWWk

20th March 2023
AmerCityCounty

Is your agency’s procurement team sidelined during the infrastructure procurement process? dlvr.it/SlC0VM

20th March 2023
AmerCityCounty

The importance of building relationships: 2022 Exemplary Public Servant Molly McLoughlin dlvr.it/SlBcmr

20th March 2023

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.