Smart city projects in Asia Pacific would not achieve their full potential, according to new research from global real estate consultancy JLL, if they concentrate on delivering cutting-edge technology without paying enough attention to citizens' needs and experiences. عقارات | عقارات قطر | شقق للبيع
According to the study, as the real estate industry improves its technological capabilities, it will be able to bridge the gap between smart city technologies and the physical spaces where people work, live, and play.
It shows the challenges that the rising number of smart cities in Asia Pacific and around the world face, based on insights from 30 experts in technology, real estate, and government. The study also identifies the need for a more human-centered approach to smart city growth, one that encourages inclusivity, productivity, sustainability, and accountability.
"Cities are deploying technology like the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence to address some of the city's most important issues, such as traffic, waste management, and public safety. This has the ability to alter how we live and function, as well as how we communicate with our cities' buildings and infrastructure. These advances are especially promising in Asia Pacific, where city populations are increasingly increasing "JLL's Director of Global Research, Jeremy Kelly, agrees.
The smart city movement in Asia is gaining traction.
China is planning more than 500 smart cities, while India's government has a five-year plan to construct 100 smart cities between 2017 and 2022. Singapore is moving forward with its Smart Nation vision, which was revealed in 2014, and a $23 million ASEAN-Australian investment fund to help smart cities in Southeast Asia was announced in 2018.
Despite the fact that more than 1,000 smart city plans have been announced around the world, only 15 have a systematic plan with specific goals. Just eight of them have clear plans that can be implemented right away. The study investigates why so many smart city proposals have struggled to gain traction.
One major stumbling block is bureaucracy. Given the size and complexity of communities, smart city projects will only thrive if policymakers are willing to experiment and spend time and money in learning from their mistakes.
"To make smart cities a reality, we need to start focusing less on the technology and more on how to use it to improve people's lives. We believe that real estate can serve as a link between the people who keep communities alive and the digital infrastructure that is increasingly powering our cities. It's past time for the real estate industry to rise to the occasion "Mr. Kelly adds.
With the exponential growth of proptech, or the integration of property and technology, the real estate industry, which is sometimes seen as a technology laggard, is now reaching a tipping point. Proptech, fueled by the popularity of smart city technology, provides practical, short-term solutions to urban planning issues, enhancing cities' sustainability, decision-making capabilities, and transparency. According to the JLL study, there are many places where proptech can have a significant effect. Proptech offers tangible benefits in the form of improved productivity for building occupants and increased value for investors from the design process to facility management.
"Our research shows that real estate is a critical component in the future of smart cities, and our clients are asking us how they can ensure that the buildings they inhabit or invest in are future-ready," says Dr. Megan Walters, JLL's Asia Pacific Head of Research. "We assume that by combining technology and human experience, precincts can run more effectively for occupiers while also providing a premium for investors due to lower operational costs and higher yields."