Turning challenges into opportunities for cities
Cities succeed when they make life better for their citizens. In most cases, this has less to do with lofty ideals or urban social theory and more to do with what happens in everyday life on the ground. How do people get to work? How do isolated individuals access healthcare? How do visually impaired citizens engage with the wider community? Or how do entrepreneurs tap local resources to bring their ideas to life?
Though the questions may be the same for cities around the world, the challenges they face are unique. Cities on a coast face public safety issues that cities in a desert do not. Older cities are burdened with aging infrastructure; newer ones are constrained by tight budgets. Many cities are under economic pressure to reduce operational costs; others are poised to create new economic engines or take advantage of opportunities for growth.
Different cities have different priorities. This is why there is no one definition of a “smart city.” Embedding sensors and upgrading networking capabilities are important pieces of the puzzle for many communities, but a truly smart city addresses the specific needs of the people who live there. And their priorities are driven by a unique set of cultural, geographic, political, partnership, budget, and regulatory realities.
No doubt, the effects of urbanization are cause for concern, but this also means that cities are hubs of innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, and human potential. And the promise of today’s cities lies in the chance to turn their challenges into opportunities.
Microsoft CityNext is a partner-led, people-focused initiative that leverages technology to help governments, businesses, and citizens unlock the potential of their cities and regions. With the help of Microsoft technology and leading software companies around the world, cities can prioritize what’s important for their constituents, innovate at their own pace, and deploy real-time solutions that take advantage of their existing IT investments.
From helping citizens retain their own digital health record to consolidating city data so government officials and business leaders can do their jobs better, locally inspired technological solutions built on the Microsoft cloud are helping cities find a flexible platform for ongoing services delivery that is right for them. In this edition of The Business Debate, Microsoft’s Ellen Wilson explores some of the challenges of today’s cities and how local and regional authorities are using Microsoft’s CityNext approach to help put their citizens first and make their communities better places to live.
