Dawn of the Smart City? Perspectives From New York, Ahmedabad, São Paulo, and Beijing

Rapid growth and environmental change are creating new challenges for urban areas around the world. From climate change adaptation and crime prevention to the integration of new residents, much is being asked of municipal governments. At the same time, new technologies – from data collection and real time monitoring to sophisticated “control centers” – are being developed that could help inform urban decision making and improve city management. Four essays present perspectives on the ideas behind smart cities from New York, Ahmedabad, São Paulo, and Beijing.

Authors

Schuyler Null

Former Writer/Editor, Environmental Change and Security Program, Maternal Health Initiative

Alexandros Washburn

Founding Director, Center for Coastal Resilience and Urban eXcellence (CRUX), Stevens Institute of Technology

Dhamodaran Ramakrishnan

Director, Smarter Planet Solutions at IBM India/South Asia

Philip Yang

President, URBEM

Emilia Patiño Anaya

Researcher, Instituto de Urbanismo e Estudos para a Metrópole (URBEM)

Jianming Cai

Professor, Institute of Geographic Sciences & Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)/ Coordinator of RUAF China, International RUAF Foundation

Michael Darden

Former Program Associate

Allison Garland

Project Director, Urban Sustainability Laboratory

Schedule interview

Susan Chan Shifflett

Former Associate, China Environment Forum

Urban Sustainability Laboratory

Since 1991, the Urban Sustainability Laboratory has advanced solutions to urban challenges—such as poverty, exclusion, insecurity, and environmental degradation—by promoting evidence-based research to support sustainable, equitable and peaceful cities. Read more

Brazil Institute

The Brazil Institute—the only country-specific policy institution focused on Brazil in Washington—aims to deepen understanding of Brazil’s complex landscape and strengthen relations between Brazilian and US institutions across all sectors.  Read more

China Environment Forum

Since 1997, the China Environment Forum's mission has been to forge US-China cooperation on energy, environment, and sustainable development challenges. We play a unique nonpartisan role in creating multi-stakeholder dialogues around these issues. Read more

Environmental Change and Security Program

The Environmental Change and Security Program (ECSP) explores the connections between environmental change, health, and population dynamics and their links to conflict, human insecurity, and foreign policy. Read more