Urban Analytics for Smart City

The complex and unpredictable nature of urban problems make ways for big data to contribute to addressing it. Big data analytics that are applied to urban governance and planning, could inform decision makers and city governments in the strategic, long term urban policy, Kandt and Batty (2021) argue. Moreover, these experts say that urban analytics can help smart city with big data analytics. 

First, with the generation of data in fast and abundance of information, big data can help generate new hypotheses that give a new perspective to the city condition. Secondly, theoretical perspectives become more crucial to be explored and applied, to interpret and contextualise the emerged pattern from the generated data. Thirdly, the technological advancement and information system supporting the big data allows for long term information to be gathered, which then could benefit the city in making strategic insight to the long-term planning, designing, and governing the city. Lastly, with the details of information gathered urban analytics should be able to embrace alternative rationalities to urban problems. Running simulations and modelling becomes possible to explore and engage ideas that are never been tested before big data is available. 

Reference:

Kandt, J., & Batty, M. (2021). Smart cities, big data and urban policy: Towards urban analytics for the long run. Cities, 109, 102992.

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