Global cities are evolving fast as smart technologies get included in efforts to make them more inclusive, efficient and sustainable. By integrating new disruptive technologies, smart-city projects world-over are enhancing quality of life by resolving key urban issues around health, transport, utilities and waste management.

With many pointers indicating that Smart Cities will become the future of modern living, one wonders what their creation involves.  First, it’s good to note that smart cities are not only about ICT, energy utilization or data collection. Definitely, digital technology facilitates their creation but it’s not the main component per se. Granted, citizens’ awareness, education and training form the most critical component.

A ‘Smart Citizen‘ has been defined as a digital literate person, capable of taking advantage of technology to interact, address local issues and participate in decision-making within a smart city environment. The understanding of how smart approaches leveraged on Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Data Analytics enable automation of infrastructure is key in attainment of the elusive smart city environment. Having smart citizens who can participate in their city’s daily governance, citizens sensitive towards their quality of life as well as protective of their environment goes a long way in creating something valued by the community. It’s simply not to shape residents fit into the future, but to help them create and sustain that future.

Smart cities can’t do without smart citizens. Conducting awareness, education and training to strengthen digital capabilities in society is key in ensuring the success of our local smart cities. Government participation and its strategic collaboration with private stakeholders will also go a long way in ensuring the alignment of smart cities to smart citizens.