Reengineering urban systems for the century ahead
If you’re a government leader working to address urban challenges, China is a great place to look for inspiration. Last year, China unveiled an ambitious plan to integrate 60 percent of its population into urban areas by 2020-relocating a staggering 240 million people from the countryside into one of its 21 mega regions. To put that in perspective, that’s like moving almost the entire population of the United States.
China sees this rapid urbanization as a way to bolster economic growth. At the same time, the country realizes it needs to grow in a more sustainable way. To accomplish this, policymakers are reengineering their urban systems, harnessing advanced technology to tackle everything from traffic congestion to energy consumption to public safety. No other region in the world is urbanizing as quickly as China, which makes it a great place to examine both the successes and failures-and to look for opportunities that can be implemented in your own city or state.
On my recent visit to China, I had the opportunity to talk with a wide range of government leaders about their efforts and ideas. During one seminar I attended on public safety and emergency management, participants discussed how they can reengineer urban systems to better manage traffic flows. We currently have systems in place to identify congestion limits and traffic accidents, but those systems aren’t connected to the person behind the wheel. That information could be sent to the car, which could then redirect the driver to the fastest route based on current conditions. Interestingly, different cars would direct their drivers to different routes. For example, my car might know that I was driving alone, and thus avoid high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Now that’s an intelligent system-and I’m confident that people who use transportation would be willing to pay for it.
We also discussed how big data can help law enforcement officials reduce crime. By analyzing large amounts of data, police can draw conclusions-say, that warm weather patterns during specific summer months lead to greater incidences of crime in specific parts of the city between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. With greater insight into criminal patterns, police can reroute their normal patrol routes or take other preventative measures.
The opportunities to create smarter cities are limitless. And as China continues to urbanize, hundreds of cities across China are turning to advanced technology to help them make better decisions. For example, Wuhan, the capital city of central China’s Hubei Province, is using cloud-based technologies to build a citywide digital system that will allow it to make more intelligent decisions about its infrastructure and services-including transportation, utilities, and public safety. With a digital system in place, the city will have greater insight into issues ranging from urban pollution to traffic congestion, allowing it to operate both more sustainably and efficiently.
Likewise, Zhenjiang in the Jiangsu province of China is using advanced technology to improve the quality of life for its residents, while at the same time lowering its carbon footprint. Residents can get up-to-date information about open parking spaces and public bicycles from their smartphones. They can also see up-to-the-second arrival times for different buses. Buses continuously report their positions and other operating information, allowing city officials to improve scheduling efficiency while lowering both energy emissions and costs. For example, by incorporating technology into its bus system, Zhenjiang is cutting an impressive 6,700 tons of carbon dioxide-and saving about $2.7 million in fuel costs-each year.
Today’s technology provides an enormous opportunity for government leaders to build more livable and sustainable urban areas. As is evident in China and in many places around the globe, the future is already here-and it will continue to evolve very rapidly. Government leaders need to examine their challenges and then form the right partnerships to take them where they want to go. What better time to start than now?
