VOICES
Reimagining the Cities
of the Future
Amit Midha, president, Asia Pacific & Japan, Global
Digital Cities at Dell Technologies, shares his experience
of partnering with governments worldwide
to build digital cities.
20
BY AMIT MIDHA
We are living during one of history’s most prominent
inflection points. According to the United Nations, by
2050, almost 70 percent of the world’s population will
live in urban areas, compared to 55 percent today and
30 percent in the 1950s. This massive urbanization has a direct impact
on public safety, citizen services, environment, transportation, and
energy, among other living conditions.
Beyond the obvious physical limitations to growth, today’s cities
face challenges of aging populations, overstretched infrastructure,
declining public budgets, and sustainability. Top that with the “digital
native” generation’s expectations for engaging, digital-first experiences,
and it’s no wonder these urban clusters are turning to digital
technologies to become smarter and more efficient. But the pace of
change creates yet another—and perhaps the greatest—challenge:
How do governments create a digital city with data at its heart, while
still running that city with limited resources? It’s much like fixing the
train tracks while the train continues to chug along.