FIVE PILLARS TO CREATE A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR THE SMART CITY
In order to implement its Smart City strategy and projects, the City of Brussels, and in particular its administration, must rise to certain challenges linked to its internal operation and organisation. These challenges correspond to the five pillars, or foundations, needed to build a Smart City.
1. STRATEGY AND GOVERNANCE
An effective Smart City is based on a well thought-out and supported strategy, with a long-term vision and clear objectives for all parties involved. A clear governance structure, bringing together the main internal and external stakeholders, is needed to monitor and periodically evaluate this strategy, as well as to identify new needs and select new Smart City projects.
To achieve its objectives, a Smart City must draw on the expertise of its local ecosystem and use collective intelligence. "Quadruple helix" collaborations are needed with:
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Companies
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Academic and research institutions
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Local, regional, national and international public authorities
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Civil society
At the same time, it is important to incorporate the Smart City philosophy at all levels of the organisation and make it part of the city's identity. The Smart City unit provides inspiration, motivation and expertise to the city's other departments. It supports them in managing their Smart City projects and also coordinates the Smart City projects portfolio. The members of the management and the political majority are responsible for promoting the Smart City culture.
A specific Smart City communication plan is needed to clearly promote and communicate the ambitions, opportunities and added value of the city's Smart City policy.
2. DATA
Data plays an essential role in a Smart City. By analysing and exploiting this information, we can gain a better understanding of the area, support the decision-making of politicians and public authorities, and improve existing services or create new ones. For the City of Brussels, which already has a large amount of data, the main challenge is to structure this data in order to make us of it to its full potential.
This requires a specific strategy and governance for data management within the Brussels administration, in order to encourage cross-disciplinary data sharing. Concepts such as reliability, quality, interoperability and data protection must be integrated into the city's processes. It is important to make government employees aware of the added value of promoting, disseminating and re-using specific data sets, in order to develop a data culture. The use of cross-cutting analysis and visualisation tools enables municipal policies to be based more on specific, up-to-date information
The publication and dissemination of public open data sources on the City's open data platform can stimulate the development of a thriving ecosystem of innovative start-ups and local businesses, as well as qualitative and critical research and an engaged citizen population. Furthermore, public data sources can be cross-referenced and enriched with data from private partners to extract additional value and knowledge.
In order to effectively structure these ambitions and processes associated with data, the City of Brussels has established a data strategy. The three main objectives of this strategy are as follows:
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To develop data awareness among city staff to increase the use of data in decision making
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To harness data to deliver better services in order to improve the city experience
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To share public data to enable the Brussels digital ecosystem to innovate and meet the challenges of society.
3. TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS
New information and communication technologies are widely used in a Smart City to meet the urban challenges facing the citizens, businesses and public authorities of Brussels.
The devices and infrastructures used include sensors, broadband and wireless networks, online databases, data centres, cross-disciplinary digital platforms, as well as end-user tools and devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, digital televisions, etc. The smartphone, in particular, plays a key role in data collection and the development of new innovative applications to simplify citizens' lives, given its high penetration rate among the Brussels population.
The Internet of Things (IoT) connects objects of varying degrees of technological sophistication. It is then possible to collect data on their environment or use, and control them via a wireless network. For example, sensors can gather information on the noise level in the surrounding area, or smart bins can communicate their fill level and can be closed remotely. This concept paves the way for innovative solutions, such as autonomous cars.
Other technologies inseparable from the Smart City concept include artificial intelligence (such as machine learning), robotisation (such as robotic process automation), virtual and augmented reality, 3D visualisation, 3D printing, etc.
The city becomes truly "smart" when it manages to combine these technological solutions in a rational and efficient way, by using them to improve the quality of life of its citizens and the services they provide.
4. DIGITAL SKILLS
In order to facilitate the identification and implementation of innovative and technological projects in the City of Brussels, the digital maturity of the administration must be strengthened by increasing the general level of knowledge:
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In terms of basic digital skills
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In terms of data and technology
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In terms of innovation and experimentation methods
City employees at all levels must be able to identify opportunities to integrate innovative technological solutions, participate in their implementation and have the skills to use them.
Finally, it is also essential for the success of a Smart City policy to continue to work on reducing the digital divide and increasing the digital know-how and skills of the population. All citizens should be able to reap the benefits of the digitalisation of services and new technological solutions deployed in the city.
5. FUNDING
Funding is a key element in the strategy for implementing ambitious new Smart City projects:
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The financial resources of the Smart City team should be strengthened to allow for the launch of new core cross-cutting projects and adequate budgets should be provided in the departments responsible for the operational management of Smart City projects.
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In addition to internal funding, there is a need to attract more external funding, such as regional or federal grants and subsidies, grants from calls for projects and programmes of the European Commission, or funding from the private sector.
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The human resources of the Smart City team should also be strengthened to enable the management of an enlarged project portfolio and a dedicated grants team should be created to conduct searches for external funding.
