Science Talk

Urban living in the age of the smart city

Data from devices can allow real-time fine-tuning of traffic flow, for example

A commuter checking out interactive "smart boards" at a bus stop. Such boards offer information such as bus timings, the weather and street directory. There are physical books to browse, as well as e-books to download too. Commuters can also use mobi
A commuter checking out interactive "smart boards" at a bus stop. Such boards offer information such as bus timings, the weather and street directory. There are physical books to browse, as well as e-books to download too. Commuters can also use mobile phone charging points and free Wi-Fi. ST FILE PHOTO
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Across the globe, cities like Singapore are investing heavily in smart city infrastructure, which is generating unprecedented amounts of data. Such information has huge potential to help governments, residents and businesses make smarter choices in areas such as urban transportation, healthcare, logistics as well as policy and planning.

Technologies that enable easy generation, storage and sharing of such diverse data streams allow for large-scale studies on urban mobility and collective behaviour.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 24, 2018, with the headline Urban living in the age of the smart city. Subscribe