110 readings on smart cities

I have just completed a series of posts about the smart city reviewing the most significant elements: the conceptual confusion between its energy and environmental management approach and issues related to digital apps and data, the role big companies are playing to market their urban technological solutions, new urban developments that are self-proclaimed smart city, the ability of these strategies to promote local technological systems and, finally, their social and political implications.

As smart cities are gaining great attention lately, I have compiled different sources of information I have used lately and here you can find a list of links of resources you may find interesting. Of course, it is impossible to have a fully comprehensive catalogue, so other resources could be included. Feel free to suggest others.

via humanscalecities:

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Brisbane’s traffic the most stressful in Australia, says IBM study

BRISBANE traffic has been rated the most stressful in the country as a result of poor planning, aggressive drivers and an over-reliance on private cars.

An IBM study of 1556 drivers found 90 per cent of Brisbane motorists felt increasingly stressed by traffic compared with 81 per cent in Adelaide, 78 per cent in Melbourne and 74 per cent in Sydney.

Worldwide, the cities assessed as having the most painful commute, when combined with other factors, were Beijing and Mexico City, followed by Johannesburg, Moscow and New Delhi.

Brisbane ranked 13th, behind Sydney in 10th place.

IBM’s Smarter Transportation Industry expert John Hawkins said Brisbane drivers were in a “very stressed environment”.

“You’ve only got a few main arterials and you’ve got the Port of Brisbane and the airport located off one of them,” Mr Hawkins said.

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What’s one major consequence of a city becoming a booming economic center? Increased traffic that leads to mind-numbing, stop-and-go commutes. IBM surveyed drivers in 20 of the world’s metropolises to see which city’s drivers experienced most traffic-related woes. Its Commuter Pain Index takes into account factors such as time drivers spent stuck in traffic, high gas prices, stress and anger caused by long commutes, and even instances where the specter of a bumper-to-bumper drive pushes drivers to cancel trips. Check out the results here.

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New lab seeks ways to make cities smarter than ever | Smart Grid Can smart technologies make the cities of the future safer, smarter and more energy efficient? A new collaborative research lab in the US is being launched to seek potential answers to that question. IBM and Pennsylvania’s Carnegie Mellon University have teamed up to create the new laboratory, set to begin operations this fall, as part of the Pennsylvania Smart Infrastructure Incubator (PSII). The incubator is a state and industry initiative aimed at developing advanced technologies for managing building, energy, water and other infrastructure elements that are critical to the functioning of cities. “Making the infrastructure of our cities, communities and industries more instrumented, interconnected and intelligent can make it more sustainable from both an economic and an environmental perspective,” said Wayne Balta, vice president of corporate environmental affairs and product safety for IBM. The IBM Smarter Infrastructure Lab at Carnegie Mellon will work on technologies that are consistent with both organisations’ existing sustainability initiatives, including IBM’s Smarter Planet program and the university’s work at its Centre for Sensed Critical Infrastructure Research. 

New lab seeks ways to make cities smarter than ever | Smart Grid

Can smart technologies make the cities of the future safer, smarter and more energy efficient? A new collaborative research lab in the US is being launched to seek potential answers to that question. IBM and Pennsylvania’s Carnegie Mellon University have teamed up to create the new laboratory, set to begin operations this fall, as part of the Pennsylvania Smart Infrastructure Incubator (PSII). The incubator is a state and industry initiative aimed at developing advanced technologies for managing building, energy, water and other infrastructure elements that are critical to the functioning of cities. “Making the infrastructure of our cities, communities and industries more instrumented, interconnected and intelligent can make it more sustainable from both an economic and an environmental perspective,” said Wayne Balta, vice president of corporate environmental affairs and product safety for IBM. The IBM Smarter Infrastructure Lab at Carnegie Mellon will work on technologies that are consistent with both organisations’ existing sustainability initiatives, including IBM’s Smarter Planet program and the university’s work at its Centre for Sensed Critical Infrastructure Research. 

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smarterplanet: IBM Plans ‘Serious’ Sim City — InformationWeek IBM said Monday that it plans to offer a SimCity-style online game that urban planners, students, academics, and others can use to learn more about urban sprawl and how to combat its negative effects on the environment. IBM called its CityOne simulation a “serious game” that can help users “discover how to make their cities and their industries smarter by solving real-world business, environmental, and logistical problems.” 

smarterplanet:

IBM Plans ‘Serious’ Sim City — InformationWeek

IBM said Monday that it plans to offer a SimCity-style online game that urban planners, students, academics, and others can use to learn more about urban sprawl and how to combat its negative effects on the environment. IBM called its CityOne simulation a “serious game” that can help users “discover how to make their cities and their industries smarter by solving real-world business, environmental, and logistical problems.” 

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How are urbanization and other human influences affecting the biodiversity and health of ecosystems? Seed visits urban entomologist James Danoff-Burg in the field and takes a peek at the core field equipment that he is using to investigate this critical question. Danoff-Burg collects and studies cosmopolitan critters in an attempt to quantify human impacts on the environment so that we can better mediate them.  SEEDMAGAZINE.COM § Workbench: James Danoff-Burg

How are urbanization and other human influences affecting the biodiversity and health of ecosystems? Seed visits urban entomologist James Danoff-Burg in the field and takes a peek at the core field equipment that he is using to investigate this critical question. Danoff-Burg collects and studies cosmopolitan critters in an attempt to quantify human impacts on the environment so that we can better mediate them. 

SEEDMAGAZINE.COM § Workbench: James Danoff-Burg

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Merging complex systems science and ecology, resilience scientists have broken new ground on understanding—and preserving—natural ecosystems. Now, as more and more people move into urban hubs, they are bringing this novel science to the city. (via Urban Resilience § SEEDMAGAZINE.COM)

Merging complex systems science and ecology, resilience scientists have broken new ground on understanding—and preserving—natural ecosystems. Now, as more and more people move into urban hubs, they are bringing this novel science to the city. (via Urban Resilience § SEEDMAGAZINE.COM)

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