By B.N. Frank
Whether your community is “Smart” or not, one report recently exposed that less than 25% of cities “conduct privacy impact assessments” when deploying new technologies. That’s not good!
In regard to official “Smart Cities”, worldwide opposition has been ongoing due to significant cybersecurity, economic, environmental, health, and privacy risks already identified with them (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Nevertheless, proponents continue to laud “Smart Cities”, rank them, and give them awards.
From Smart Cities Dive:
IDC Government Insights announced the winners of its fourth annual Smart Cities North America Awards. The 13 winners are as follows:
| Category | Winning Entity | Project |
|---|---|---|
| Administration | Harris County Engineering Department, Harris County, Texas | ePermits |
| Civic Engagement | Arizona State University, Scottsdale, Arizona | Arizona State University Smart City Innovation Lab |
| Digital Equity and Accessibility | Ocala, Florida | Ocala Fiber Network |
| Education | Eugene School District 4J, Eugene, Oregon | Eugene School District 4J Comprehensive Distance Learning Technology Plan |
| Public Health and Social Services | Clark County, Nevada | CARES Housing Assistance Program |
| Public Safety | Las Vegas | Smart City and Parks |
| Smart Buildings (TIE) | NYC Mayor’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer, New York | NYCx CoLabs: Housing Rights Challenge |
| Smart Buildings (TIE) | Colorado Smart Cities Alliance, Boulder, Colorado | EV Innovation Project |
| Sustainable Infrastructure | Santa Ana, California | Advanced Water Metering Infrastructure |
| Transportation (TIE) | Markham, Ontario, Canada | Automated Deficiency Reporting on Roads Using AI on Municipal Vehicles |
| Transportation (TIE) | Peachtree Corners, Georgia | Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners |
| Transportation Infrastructure | Center for Urban Informatics and Progress at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tennessee | Pedestrian Analysis of the MLK Smart Corridor |
| Urban Planning and Land Use | Office of Innovation & Technology, Philadelphia | Using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to Inspect City Roadways |
The awards are designed to recognize North American municipalities’ progress in implementing smart cities projects. A key goal of the program is to share best practices and promote the acceleration of smart city developments.
Last year Toronto cancelled its “Smart City” plans due to public pressure (see 1, 2); whereas in the U.S., legislators are determined to fund more of them (see 1, 2). Argh.
Activist Post reports regularly about unsafe technology. For more information, visit our archives and the following websites:
- Americans for Responsible Technology
- 5G Free
- 5G Information
- WhatIs5G.info
- Stop 5G International
- 5G Space Appeal
- Environmental Health Trust
- Physicians for Safe Technology
- Wireless Information Network
Image: Pixabay
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