8 | | DECEMBER - JANUARYIN MY OPINIONBy Jamie Cudden, Smart City Lead, Dublin City Council `Real-time­connected­data-driven' are not words one would normally associate with their city administrations. However with rapid increases in computing power, reduction in costs of chipsets, a proliferation of the cloud and the emergence of new types connectivity options in cities ­ the Internet of things (IoT) is finally starting to gain traction. The vision of a `real time connected city' is something that is now becoming closer to reality. The ability to rapidly deploy solutions and low-cost sensors is generating real time data that is allowing cities to deliver better and more responsive services for its citizens. Through my role leading a large-scale smart city innovation programme in Dublin I have seen a significant increase in the range of applications and deployments across the city over the past 5 years. The high growth applications are emerging in areas such as smarter waste management, flood monitoring, air quality monitoring, energy management, mobility services and asset monitoring. Examples include smart bins that send alerts when they are full to optimise collection routines; to river sensors that measure flooding risk in real time so resources can be diverted to areas that need it most. We are also starting to see better alignment of the technology opportunity against the challenge of climate action in cities to address environmental management and monitoring. The emergence of COVID-19 has pushed cities and governments to accelerate their digital transformations at a SMART CITY: HYPE TURNING TO REALITY?Jamie Cudden
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