{"id":11145,"date":"2016-11-14T10:15:57","date_gmt":"2016-11-14T15:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/industry\/blog\/?p=11145"},"modified":"2023-05-31T16:35:22","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T23:35:22","slug":"digital-transformation-in-cities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/industry\/blog\/government\/2016\/11\/14\/digital-transformation-in-cities\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital Transformation in Cities"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0World Bank<\/a>\u00a0indicates that for the first time ever, the majority of the world\u2019s population live in a city, and this proportion continues to grow. One hundred years ago, 2 out of every 10 people lived in an urban area. By 2050 it\u2019s projected that 7 out of 10 people will live in a city. In addition to being vital for our future, cities are the hubs of action\u2014business, trade, technology, innovation, but what does this migration of people to cities mean for citizen government services, traffic congestion, emergency response, health services, and energy consumption?<\/p>\n

At the sixth annual\u00a0Smart City Expo World Congress\u00a0in Barcelona (which is the next stop on our Empowerment Tour) we\u2019ll discuss such topics. With 14,000 delegates representing over 440 cities worldwide, Smart City Expo World Congress is the world-leading smart city event. Our answer to several of the challenges facing cities today is through our\u00a0Microsoft CityNext<\/a>\u00a0initiative, which aims to empower more sustainable, prosperous, and economically competitive cities.<\/p>\n

The innovation required to meet this goal will come during this fourth industrial revolution – we\u2019ll witness how artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics and biotech advances delivered through cloud solutions can change our lives and shape the lives of future generations. But we will also take the responsibility to understand that the benefits of these advanced technologies remain elusive for many citizens in the world and that the \u201cdigital divide\u201d is rapidly spreading. Today, 60% of the world\u2019s citizens are excluded from the benefits of a digital economy. There is an incredible opportunity for all of us to do more.<\/p>\n

Given our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more, we are committed to helping citizens and governments the world over make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, as outlined in the\u00a0United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #11<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"People<\/a>Consider these examples:<\/p>\n

The\u00a0city of Surat<\/a>\u00a0has experienced rapid population growth, leading to a shortage of staffing in its police force. To provide a safer community for its citizens, the Surat City Police Department started the \u201cSafe City Project,\u201d an initiative striving to reduce the city\u2019s crime rate using modern technology. The department created a datacenter to monitor street activities by tapping into state and national surveillance grids. Crime rate has lowered by 27% in surveillance zones.<\/p>\n

Some of the city\u2019s other technology successes include:<\/p>\n