THE BIRTH OF ASIA ’ S CONNECTED CITIES
THE WORLD ’ S URBAN population is facing a slew of challenges . Asia is home to just over half of the global city-dwelling population and 16 of the world ’ s 28 megacities can be found there . The need to effectively manage the implications of mass urbanisation cannot be understated . With unavoidable pressures such as living space , pollution , and income disparity , internet of things ( IoT ) technology has the potential to bring about a complete change in how humans interact with one another in urban spaces and in the world at large .
Speaking to Business Review Asia , Danial Mausoof , head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs , Asia Pacific and Japan at Nokia , says , “ It is clear that all cities in Asia can benefit from the intelligence that ICT networks can bring to municipal services of all kinds . The challenges brought on by rapid urbanisation are universal , and as a result all cities need to look at ways to make themselves smarter , safer and more sustainable .”
Ready for change ?
But how can Asian cities prepare themselves for these revolutionary changes ? While city-planners and those who study demographics in detail have been able to refine their forecasting methods over the years , there is no way that all of the outcomes can be predicted .
“ It has to be noted that no two single cities have the same needs and plans . Hence , there is no such thing as a ‘ blueprint ’ implementation for smart cities globally .” Mausoof adds , “ Taking some concrete examples in Asia , it ’ s impossible to compare what ’ s being done today in , say , Singapore , Bangkok , or Pune . To get better insight into best practices of benefit to all cities , Nokia commissioned
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