Are "Smart" Cities the Way Ahead for the Global South?
May 2016 — Cities from Dhaka to Nairobi to Medellin have had to deal with explosive growth and, as a result, chaotic development over the last few decades. “Smart” thinking – introducing technologies to improve urban life – is increasingly being touted as a way to tackle existing issues and make cities more livable for all residents. These technologies have focused on improving transport, creating more environmentally friendly initiatives, streamlining governance and improving healthcare. Some cities have linked various technology-driven urban innovations across sectors to bring about wider change while other cities are still experimenting with select projects. This month, we’ll explore how “smart” thinking in Global South cities has the potential to tackle pressing issues in an integrated manner, and question how it will reach even the poorest citizens.
Tecnología inteligente en tiempos de crisis:
Plataforma digital combate desastres ecológicos no Rio
Participación ciudadana mediante plataformas en línea: Una entrevista a Manuela Valencia of Cities for Life
En el 2013 Medellín fue reconocida como la ciudad más innovadora por CITI Bank y el Wall Street Journal. De allí salió la idea de invitar a las ciudades del mundo para que contaran sus experiencias innovadoras y así favorecer el intercambio de conocimientos. De allí nació CITIES FOR LIFE, con el encuentro global que se realizó en agosto-septiembre de 2015. Una de sus premisas es que en un mundo globalizado, compartimos muchos retos como oportunidades, entonces deberíamos colaborar para ser más eficientes. El evento tenía un componente político, en el cual 60 alcaldes de todo el mundo acordaron en la Declaración CFL como debían gobernar las ciudades y definimos retos globales, y un componente técnico, en lo cual tuvimos 90 speakers nacionales e internacionales entraron en un proceso de co-creación para buscar soluciones frente a los retos que se habían definido.
JBB promotes itself as a diversified financial services company that provides access to savings and loan options for small- and medium-enterprise (SMEs) and agricultural producers. The bank offers Green House financing and Mazaoplus loans for dairy farmers seeking improved access to better breeds of dairy cows.
Dhaka City: baby steps towards a smart city
This project is aimed specifically to ensure better safety and security for women so that they feel no less secure than their male counterparts to lead a regular life and challenge taboos that do not allow women to go out after dark. The underlying transition here is to build a safer infrastructure for women so that they are not restricted on the grounds of safety, instead of accepting gender-based abuse and violence on the streets and keeping them behind closed doors – safe and sound.
Although Chittagong does not lack in terms of resources, it has been relatively slow to incorporate technology in its development solutions. With the advent of the conception of smart cities, Chittagong also aims to implement technology-driven and sustainable development solutions.
Cali, aspirando a convertirse en una ciudad inteligente
Entre las iniciativas públicas, algunas han sido impulsadas por la administración central. Entre ellas destaca el proyecto Puntos Vive Digital, de los cuales ya se han instalado 20 en Cali, de un total de 23 . Estos centros, que funcionan en bibliotecas e instalaciones públicas, permiten el acceso de las personas de estratos más bajos a un amplio abanico de servicios relacionados con la tecnología. Por ejemplo, cuentan con acceso a Internet y a consolas de videojuegos. También se imparten cursos de formación sobre el uso de las nuevas tecnologías. Estos puntos se ven complementados con la red de Infocalis, desarrollados por el municipio desde el año 2004. Más de 30000 personas han utilizado 
São Paulo é referência mundial em governo aberto
Com o aplicativo "Olhares Urbanos" fica mais fácil compreender a nova lei de zoneamento da cidade, aprovada em março deste ano. Os usuários são estimulados a fotografar edifícios e marcá-los conforme os novos parâmetros urbanísticos, como "fachada ativa", "uso misto" ou "permeabilidade visual do térreo". Desde que foi lançado, em dezembro de 2014, o aplicativo foi baixado 629 vezes, e 31 imagens foram compartilhadas.
Safety Pin – Untuk Kota yang Lebih Aman
How technology improved water access for Delhi’s poor
The majority of Delhi’s population (about 60%) lives in a baffling array of informal settlements, commonly called bastis, where insecure tenure and poor access to services is a reality. In the absence of piped water supply basti residents, usually women, spend a fair amount of their day waiting for the water tanker to arrive. If and when it does, they jostle with each other to collect enough water for their families. In the dry summer months, this is a fight for survival. Fortunately, the Delhi government has used technology to make simple and incremental improvements to water supply over the last five years or so.
مصر تخطط لبناء عاصمة جديدة ذكية بحلول عام 2022
وستكون هذه العاصمة الجديدة مدينة ذكية، حيث ستتبنى أسس الاستدامة والابتكار. وستستفيد العاصمة الجديدة من التقنيات المستدامة الحديثة، فضلا عن أنها ستتكيف مع التقنيات المستقبلية، وخاصة من حيث كفاية الموارد. ويعتبر الخبراء الاقتصاديون أن المدينة مشروعا ناجحا، حيث ستوفر العديد من الفرص للشباب لاستكشاف آفاق جديدة، كما ستشكل مركزا للتعاون الدولي. ويقول مخططو المشروع أنه سيتم حماية الطبيعة البيئية الفريدة في الموقع وسيتم تدوير النفايات العضوية من أجل الحفاظ على الصفات الطبيعية في المنطقة وتزويد السكان بالمحاصيل المزروعة محليا. ومن المقرر أن تكون المدينة مرتبطة بصورة جيدة محليا وإقليميا ودوليا، وسوف يكون التركيز على تعزيز خيارات صديقة للمشاة في جميع أنحاء المدينة تساعدهم على المشي بحرية. وعلاوة على ذلك، فإن البنية التحتية للمدينة الجديدة ستعمل على تدوير المياه، مما يجعل يحد من التصحر ونقص المياه.
Digitizing Joburg
In any discussion of technology and the “developing world”; however, it can be useful to keep as a datum the critique of German philosopher Martin Heidegger, one major 20th-century figure who was profoundly critical of the modern technological world view for, as he saw it, its all-encompassing and reductive functionalism. While this did nothing to abate the technological age, perhaps its critique was not too far off. For too often technology appears in the “developing world” with distant global yardsticks and (usually Western) references. Too often these can appear disconnected from social and cultural realities and complexity, even while branding itself with those same stripes. A rear guard, then, may be to see how technology could emerge organically and intimately from particular contexts. It suggests a technology subordinated to the social rather than dictating toward it, where people can make use of technology to build on their own terms, not to “catch up” on its terms. The BRT, Joburg’s other major piece of infrastructure, with great potential for inclusivity is already showing early warning signs precisely of 
Acciones para respirar mejor
Navi Mumbai’s Smart City Mission
The Ministry of Urban Development highlights that smart solutions include both technology and governance, citing examples of “smart solutions” as: better management of waste to compost and recycling water in cities, energy efficient buildings and renewable energy use, smart parking and intelligent traffic management, smart meters to measure water consumption and quality, and tele-medicine and education.
Disaster management through mobile phone helplines
Managing urban areas has become one of the most important development challenges of this century. Worldwide statistics reveal the increasing number of disasters and its impact on lives and properties. The Lagos state government, over time, has set up various agencies to manage the different emergencies that may arise in the city as part of its commitment to securing citizen’s welfare. As a response to the increasing number of medical emergencies in the city, the state government established the Lagos State Emergency Medical Service (LASEMS) and the Lagos State Ambulance Services (LASAMBUS) in 2001. The two services run on a continuous basis with provision of free treatment within the first 24 hours of emergencies. The project works with a radio-communication network that links the public, the two services and the state ministry of health together. A phone hotline (112 or 767) has also been dedicated to these services in order to facilitate fast communication whenever there is a medical emergency. There are 25 operational points of the ambulance service scattered around the city in order to aid easy emergency response. Some of the ambulances also have additional mobile intensive care unit (MICU) with capacity to administer advanced life support for critical cases. The services have been noted to lead to “significant improvement in the response time and quality of care with attendant improvement in morbidity and mortality rates occasioned by medical emergencies” in the city.
IT-enabled systems help Bangalore Traffic Police
Comments
Disaster management through mobile phone helplines
Hi Peter,
Great article. Despite the inclusive approach of the App and its versatile usage, I wonder if the disabled and people with several disabilities were addressed and their needs were met when this App is designed and promoted?
I believe that considering these vulnerable groups in the societies is a key to adopt and achieve equity..
Thanks for sharing this information!
Centro de Gestión del Tráfico de Bogotá
Jorge, me parece que la Ciudad de México y Bogotá presentan el mismo reto en cuanto a la movilidad por la conectividad entre las diversas formas de transporte público. El tràfico y la demanda de usuarios son dos factores primordiales para el desarrollo de estrategias para una movilidad más fácil, eficiente y segura. El centro de Gestión de Tráfico de Bogotá es un ejemplo que puede ser inspirador para la Ciudad de México. Hay algunos evaluaciones que muestren el impacto de este instituto en la movilidad y en el tráfico de la ciudad?
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