How the World’s Top Smart Cities are Revolutionizing Urban Planning with GIS 

Urban development is one of the fastest growing fields in the world, due to rising demand for optimized infrastructure and eco-friendly living. According to World Bank Group, a global development partnership, around 56% of the world’s population—over 4.4 billion people—live in cities.¹ This number will continue to increase alongside rapid population growth. The World Bank Group predicts that by 2045, the urban population alone will reach six billion people.¹ But many cities aren’t equipped to handle an influx of new residents. 

As infrastructure races to adapt to increasing population density, GIS professionals are helping design smart cities that use artificial intelligence (AI) and innovative geographic information systems (GIS) programs to reduce pollution and congestion, make better use of natural resources, provide better access to healthcare and more. These data-driven innovations help cities and other developed areas adapt to changing environments in real time.

Smart cities rely on state-of-the-art technology and GIS experts to meet their needs. Degree programs such as the University of West Florida’s online master’s in Geographic Information Science Administration offer career-building GIS skills for those seeking a GIS position in government, community and professional organizations, environmental research, healthcare, the supply chain and more.

What Are Smart Cities?

Smart cities are equipped with computational GIS networks that gather and analyze data almost instantly. Governments, community and professional organizations, architects, planners, supply chain managers and others utilize this data to make decisions that save resources and improve the quality of life for the population. Nearly every aspect of planned urban development can be optimized by GIS and AI, but most smart cities feature better access to healthcare, more affordable housing, enhanced safety and security, lower environmental impact and optimized transportation systems.

• Healthcare: Smart city networks centralize healthcare data, so patients and providers can immediately access records and find the closest appropriate care. Monique Moate, writing for Earth.org, explains that smart technology gathers data that improves sanitation systems, disease tracking, telemedicine and emergency response.² Mobile sensors in a smart city network also help GIS professionals and urban planners monitor foot traffic, optimize the flow of traffic and create recreation areas in easy-to-access parts of the city.
• Housing: GIS specialists and urban planners can improve access to affordable housing by creating more options for varying budgets and living preferences. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that these professionals can maximize space and provide smaller, budget-friendly homes, townhomes, multi-family units and accessory dwelling units.³ Smart technology can identify the best spaces for these compact units and help planners design them efficiently. Then, occupants can take advantage of lower utility costs and proximity to necessary resources such as schools, grocery stores, offices and libraries.
• Safety and Security: Visualizing crime data can help law enforcement identify areas where proactive interventions could have the most impact. For example, areas with confirmed drug-related activity would likely benefit from community outreach about substance use and harm reduction. Moate mentions that data from smart devices also optimizes home security, assists with crowd control and quickly analyzes public camera footage.² Smart devices save valuable time for emergency responders, criminal investigators, security personnel and more.
• Sustainability: Sustainable urban planning includes green building materials, energy efficient appliances, smart utility monitoring and solar panels. According to the EPA, energy efficient households are better prepared for the economic impacts of climate change because they can create and maintain habitable conditions in extreme weather.³ With the right technology, entire office buildings and residential complexes can become carbon neutral or even energy positive (contributing more energy than consuming).
• Transportation: In an article written for IBM, authors Gomstyn and Jonker name smart transportation systems as the cornerstone of smart city planning.⁴ Powered by AI and GIS, smart transportation technology can improve public transit schedules, help maintain city vehicles, optimize public parking and ease traffic congestion. As an example, Gomstyn and Jonker explain that AI can determine the best timing for signal changes at intersections depending on the time of day and established traffic patterns.⁴

Five of the World’s Top Smart City Projects

Explore five innovative smart city projects from around the world and learn how smart city planning can address environmental concerns, boost the economy, visualize urban development and more.

THE LINE, Saudi Arabia

THE LINE is Saudi Arabia’s⁵ vertical mega city, part of the Saudi Vision 2030 project. Its revolutionary layered design will eventually house over nine million people in just over 13 square miles. THE LINE will run on 100% renewable energy and promises “never-before-seen efficiencies in city functions,” including citywide climate control, a high-speed rail and a five-minute walk to all destinations. Parks, natural spaces and pedestrian areas will also be accommodated in the vertical smart city. The world’s foremost leaders in urban planning and development are leading the completely digitized design of THE LINE.

SGTraDex, Smart Nation Singapore

Smart Nation Singapore⁶ is a government-led initiative toward a digital-first society. Launched in 2014, the initiative is committed to ongoing smart city urban planning. One of Smart Nation Singapore’s emerging innovations is the Singapore Trade Data Exchange (SGTraDex), a public digital infrastructure built to optimize the local and global supply chain. On the neutral SGTraDex platform, stakeholders share data that clarifies daily operations and provides insights for many positions along the supply chain, such as carriers and haulers, government authorities, importers, exporters, service providers and terminal operators.

“Shaping Urban Futures. Step Into the City of Tomorrow,” Barcelona

In the 2023 Smart City Expo World Congress, representatives of Barcelona⁷ presented their vision for becoming a pioneer in digital-first cities. Ultimately, their goal is for a carbon-neutral city by 2030. Barcelona’s city council and other delegates presented their plans for the following:

• Artificial intelligence in social services
• Carbon-neutral practices
• Electric mobility
• Urban planning and road safety

The presentation also featured the Digital Twins project, in which GIS and AI urban planning are powering sophisticated digital visualizations of Barcelona. These interactive maps and designs help architects, government officials and urban planners identify potential city improvements, test innovative designs and predict the success of new ideas.

AI Air Pollution Emergency Platform, Smart City Taiwan

Taiwan’s⁸ Smart City project works with the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, AI, urban planning and smart technology to improve the quality of life for its residents. One of Smart City Taiwan’s most impressive accomplishments is an AI Air Pollution Emergency Platform for City Governance. Smart air sensors throughout the city monitor air quality and send data to national monitoring stations in real time. An AI-powered GIS system analyzes air quality and environmental data such as wind speed and wind direction. The system can quickly generate alerts for air quality anomalies and toxic substances.

• Smart air sensors collect environmental data every five seconds
• The AI Air Pollution Emergency Platform can identify the location of suspected pollution sources within five minutes
• Local environmental protection departments experience six times more efficient factory inspections

Brattørkaia Energy Positive Office Building, Norway

The Brattørkaia office building in Trondheim, Norway⁹, is one of the first structures of its kind. Conceptualized and designed by the Powerhouse architecture and construction collaboration, Brattørkaia was built with sustainable materials and energy-efficient processes. Its unique designs and smart technology help Brattørkaia generate twice as much electricity as it consumes.

Via special government permit, the building’s microgrid distributes its electricity to local buildings, electric buses, cars and boats, as well as the national power grid. Throughout its decades of operation, the energy Brattørkaia creates and distributes will outweigh the energy used to bring it to life, making it not just efficient but energy positive.

The Powerhouse collaboration is working on three additional energy positive buildings in Norway.

Sharpen Your GIS Expertise for Urban Planning and Development Careers

If you’re currently working in GIS and are inspired by leading-edge smart city planning, you can kick start your urban development career with an online master’s in GIS Administration from UWF. You’ll learn how to visualize spatial data, extract meaningful patterns from spatial data and present strategic GIS solutions to stakeholders.

These skills boost employment prospects and salary potential for thriving careers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects an average of 3,700 openings for urban and regional planners each year from 2022 to 2032.¹⁰ This employment growth is fueled by the need for revitalization projects, eco conscious design, access to common resources and more sophisticated transportation systems. Urban and regional planners typically need a master’s degree, according to the BLS, and leadership roles usually require a graduate degree plus certification.

Urban and regional planning careers in the U.S. are also rewarding. These professionals earned a median annual wage of $81,800 in May 2023, and the following industries reported a higher-than-average wage:¹⁰

• Management, scientific and technical consulting services: $86,980
• Architectural, engineering and related services: $85,900

If you’re ready to move into exciting urban development careers, read more about UWF’s online M.S. in GIS Administration today.

Sources

1. World Bank Group. “Urban Development Overview.” April 3, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2024, from https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/overview.
2. Moate, Monique. “How Urban Planning and Smart Cities Can Help in the Fight Against Climate Change.” Earth.Org Solutions. October 31, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2024, from  https://earth.org/urban-planning-and-smart-cities/.
3. United Stated Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “Smart Growth and Housing.” July 31, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024, from https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/smart-growth-and-housing.
4. Gomstyn, Alice, & Jonker, Alexandra. “What is a Smart City?” IBM. November 22, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2024, from https://www.ibm.com/topics/smart-city.
5. NEOM. “THE LINE: The Future of Urban Living.” Retrieved August 6, 2024, from https://www.neom.com/en-us/regions/theline.
6. Smart Nation Singapore. “Singapore Trade Data Exchange (SGTraDex).” Retrieved August 6, 2024, from https://www.smartnation.gov.sg/initiatives/sgtradex/. 
7. Ajuntament de Barcelona (Barcelona City Council). “Smart City 2023 Shows a Barcelona at the Forefront of Urban Innovation.” Area for Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing. November 20, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2024, from https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/ecologiaurbana/en/noticia/smart-city-2023-shows-a-barcelona-at-the-forefront-of-urban-innovation_1342636.
8. Smart City Taiwan. “AI Air Pollution Emergency Platform for City Governance.” The Ministry of Digital Affairs. Retrieved August 6, 2024, from https://www.twsmartcity.org.tw/en/demonstrations.
9. Business Norway. “Norway is Pioneering Energy-Positive Buildings.” Innovation Norway. March 27, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2024, from https://businessnorway.com/articles/norway-is-pioneering-energy-positive-buildings.
10. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Urban and Regional Planners.” Occupational Outlook Handbook. April 17, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/Life-Physical-and-Social-Science/Urban-and-regional-planners.htm.