We have smartphones, smart homes, smart cars, and even smart robot vacuum cleaners. So, why aren’t our cities smarter?
Sadly, our lifestyle is more expensive, environmentally destructive, and inconvenient than it needs to be.
All that may be about to change, however. Malaysia has high ambitions to be one of the leaders in the global smart city movement, even though that is easier said than done.
Technology, meet city
But first, what is a smart city?
Creating one is a simple equation: technology + city = better life.
In Malaysia, the Smart City Framework aims to use technology to address issues such as inefficient urban services, environmental pollution, and traffic.
Sometimes, visionary elites try to create new smart cities where there isn’t even a town. Last month, we learned that Silicon Valley billionaires have spent US$600 million on empty land near San Francisco for this purpose. Other would-be city founders have talked of sea steading, which means creating floating cities in international waters outside the control of any government.
Rather than a flawless (and unobtainable) utopia, I think most Malaysians would prefer to aim for a “protopia.” That is a society where we make incremental progress over a long period. Your life might not change much over the next year, but it will be dramatically better in five years.
Also Read: Getting smarter with tech: How will smart cities look like 10 years from now?
In just ten years, smart cities can make our environment healthier, our standard of living higher, and our bank accounts fuller.
Everyone can agree this would be a good thing. So, what is standing in the way? Well, one of the biggest threats to smart cities is cyber-attacks.
The hacker threat
Hackers have disrupted other smart city projects all over the world. Smart cities rely on technology. This tech depends on the internet, giving hackers a way in.
Smart cities increasingly rely on IoT devices to collect and process data, which aren’t always as secure as they should be.
In the United States, hackers shut down a major city’s courts, police, and water systems.
In Ukraine, a cyberattack turned off the lights in a blackout, with over 230,000 victims.
In Asia, hackers have penetrated smart services in Taipei, Mumbai, and Seoul, shutting down metro systems, traffic management, and power supplies.
Thankfully, Malaysia has learned from the hard experiences of others and has put cybersecurity at the heart of its efforts.
Smart Malaysia
Malaysia has fully embraced the idea of using technology to improve the quality of life in its urban areas. Four places in Malaysia are among the 26 Asean pilot smart cities: Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, and Johor Baharu.
Besides these projects, Selangor has its own Smart Selangor Blueprint. Cyberjaya and Putrajaya were the first Malaysian cities with 5G technology. Melaka is offering smart electricity metering. And Penang has its own Smart City Blueprint.
The Prime Minister wants the Federal Territories to be smart cities by 2030. He sees a more sustainable and liveable lifestyle for residents, featuring non-polluting electric buses, more CCTVs to ensure safety and traffic management, fewer floods and better water management, and more WiFi in people’s and public housing projects.
We will also see more green energy, reduced waste and pollution, better transit infrastructure, more 5G access, and easier access to health care right in your local community.
In future posts here, I’ll discuss smart cities in more detail. For now, I hope this introduction has you thinking about the possibilities. If you have some ideas, please contact me and share them.
—
Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic
Join our e27 Telegram group, FB community, or like the e27 Facebook page
Image credit: Canva
The post Can Malaysia have smart cities? appeared first on e27.