Intelligent Cities: The Efficient City

The development of systems that allow city wide exchange of data and the reaction to that data is important to study. The impact of what is sometimes called the sentient city is not just at a city level but it also impacts communities, neighborhoods and families.

Intelligent Cities can create personal, helpful, efficient and communal cities. In four articles on PSFK, we will describe each of these four aspects and the manifestations occurring today that point to a better urban future.

As buildings become intelligent enough to monitor their own status, they are able to more efficiently allocate resources based on usage. These services aim to match resources with those who need them when others do not. Local communities immediately benefit from sharing available resources in ways that optimize usage for everyone.

Manifestations of the Efficient City

Buildings self-monitor use of resources

The headquarters building of IBM France has been designed to optimally reduce its environmental footprint through intelligent consumption of utilities. Sensors automatically regulate the lighting and cooling depending on the external environment to reduce unnecessary use of electricity, and monitor the overall use of water to provide different rates of flow as individual areas of the building approach predetermined limits.

Intelligent monitoring of home energy

Intel’s Home Energy Management system gathers information from wireless outlet sensors to track and optimize energy usage. The family-friendly interface includes applications for baby monitoring, package tracking, security systems, and home maintenance.

Bar’s prices fluctuate like the stock market

A bar in New York City is planning to price its menu items as though they were stocks. The Exchange Bar & Grill will have prices of its drinks and food fluctuate based on people placing orders on certain drinks.

Ubiquitous sensors to monitor municipal structures

HP Labs has announced a project they’ve dubbed the CeNSE (Central Nervous System for the Earth), an attempt to build a planet-wide infrastructure built from billions of small, cheap, and durable sensors. These sensors will be able to attach to bridges and buildings to warn of structural strains or inclement weather conditions, and will be scattered along roadsides to monitor traffic and road conditions.

Future Developments

How could the Efficient City enhance our lives?

1. Floors can weigh you and offer diet and health options

2. Buildings can monitor elderly at home

3. Building shares unneeded energy with others to save neighborhood energy use

4. Connected neighborhoods allocate resources better – like trash collection

5. Roads and buildings can relay information about areas in need of repair

There are plenty of other ways the Personal City can evolve. Leave your suggestions in the comments box.

Next Steps

PSFK has prepared a unique presentation on Intelligent Cities. If you would like to invite our staff to present it to your team and discuss possible opportunities for your company to explore, contact PSFK’s Jeff Weiner – jeff.weiner@psfk.com