Smart cities are becoming responsive cities

Over half of the world’s population lives in cities. If this trend continues, it is estimated 7 out of 10 people will be city-dwellers by 2050. This makes it vital to plan urban growth in a sustainable way, supported by technology and always responding to people’s needs. We used to talk about “smart cities” – we must talk about “responsive cities.”

A responsive city puts citizens at the center of the action and gives them a more active role so they can be the real decision-makers. One way to pave this path is through programs and technologies to boost citizen engagement to enhance their environment.

Mark Saunders, director of Ferrovial Services Centre of Excellence for Cities, says, “We certainly have important tools such as data analytics to really understand what is going on in more detail and adapt to that change, but I would say the biggest challenge is citizen engagement. Certainly, we can talk to a small number of people, but people are all unique, how do we approach all of the people, we have a lot of interest in listening to what everyone has to say because everyone has a role, an important contribution to the services that we deliver in the city.”