Cities need planning to be able to deliver safe food and fresh water, reliable access to electricity, efficient transportation, security, and many other services to provide a decent quality of life to their citizens. They need information and communication technology to enable strong and symbiotic economy and governance. However, to become truly smart, in addition to electricity, cities need sensor networks, computer hardware, data and control centres, etc.  Interoperability is a must so that new things can connect and communicate with existing installations and systems from many different vendors.

Technology together with data are the foundation of a smart city. The Internet of Things (IoT) enables ongoing data collection and together with artificial intelligence makes possible the analysis of data in real-time. This helps formulate an overall picture of what is going on in a given area and further optimize outcomes.

Major efficiency improvements can be achieved by horizontally interconnecting individual systems, such as telecommunication, transportation, and security. Such an approach provides increased information sharing and coordination as well as an opportunity to create new services.

Technology and data open up great possibilities but they also increase potential privacy and security risks. Standards help protect city data and people. 

A need for harmonization

The complexity of cities means that many different organizations will need to cooperate in a systems approach to deliver the many services and systems that will help make cities smarter. 

The IEC systems committee on smart cities has prepared a reference architecture and standardization roadmap in cooperation with other organizations. Its aim is to identify and close gaps and develop relevant international standards as building blocks for tailor-made solutions.