T


here are many predictions about smart cities being


where the majority of the world will live in the future. But what will it actually be like for citizens of these cities?


Imagine for a moment that you are Kane, a thirty-something father of two, living in SmartCity at some point in the near future.


When your alarm chimes you awake; you don’t know it, but today is going to be an important day. You tell the Home Controller to open the blinds, start the coffee machine in the kitchen and you head for the shower.


In the bathroom, you do your daily weight check and the monitor shows your body fat percentage and body mass index. It links up with your smart watch, sharing data on how you’ve slept and what you ate the previous day. It gives you a rating of ‘Good’. You smile at yourself in the mirror and ask the Home Controller to turn on the sound system.


Over breakfast, your wife says she needs some time to herself today, so could you do the school run? Of course, you agree and you all head off. You’ve chosen this school for its caring approach and innovative use of technology. Your children can take advantage of the distance learning available, allowing them to be taught from home on snow days and any self-isolation periods that occur. The combined licence plate recognition and facial recognition system means you can drive straight into the school’s drop off zone and leave your children safely. The school’s access control system registers their attendance, checks their temperature and ensures they are wearing a face mask before allowing access.


The remainder of your journey is smooth. You listen to the radio for updates on the pandemic then turn it off. You think about what your wife said at breakfast and what it might mean. The traffic flow in SmartCity is optimised by a city-wide system and so there is rarely any congestion.


The gates of your company car park open as you approach – both your car and your face have been approved for entry.


You drive your car over the CCTV X-ray system built into the ground and it checks for anything that should not be attached to the underside. This is connected to the SmartCity vehicle licensing computer and this confirms that the car registration matches the chassis.


No alarms are triggered and a digital sign directs you to the most convenient parking space. You lock your car, safe in the knowledge that the perimeter security with radar detection connected to a thermal PTZ means it is crime-free.


A day in the life of a


smart city


You enter the office and the facial recognition access control system provides touch-free access, that tells you which lift to get into which automatically takes you to the correct floor and your office.


You are part of a team that is developing future technology, so there is high security around your work. There is discrete CCTV monitoring your workstation. You can work flexibly: a high-speed, secure network allows you a mixture of home-based days and time in the office. You take great care to abide by all of the cybersecurity measures in place at your organisation.


At lunchtime, you pop out to visit your bank. You know you could set up a video call, but sometimes face-to-face meetings are the order of the day. You need to discuss the


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implications of changes happening to your family.


At the bank, you see an armoured vehicle making a delivery – the signage on its side says its movements are being tracked by GPS and there is sophisticated security to keep its contents safe. There’s not much cash moved around these days, but there are some high value items that need this level of security.


When entering the bank there is a display – a slim bezel 4k stand – giving the latest banking information, plus everyone’s temperature and mask checking display. It also shows an advert for subscribing to City Security magazine.


There are some items you need from the shops, so you head for the local mall. You’re comfortable shopping there because you


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