The large cities of Latin America and the Caribbean experienced rapid and unplanned growth that generated a series of consequences and challenges that directly impact the quality of life and development in the region. Problems related to insecurity, vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters, the increase in the number of vehicles circulating on urban roads, the increase in energy consumption, environmental pollution, water and waste management, the need for greater citizen participation and greater efficiency in services, among others, are increasingly common and require measures that deviate from the traditional management model.
The current financial constraints of governments in the region – especially at the subnational level – also require increasingly efficient systems that allow for the reduction of public expenditures and the increase of tax collections. In this sense, it is understood the need to adopt innovative measures that differ from traditional strategies, so that they can enhance the use of technologies, people and processes in order to migrate to an intelligent management model.
From conversations with mayors, businessmen, urban planners and their teams, it was observed the absence of information about the concept of Smart Cities, its benefits and the ways to achieve this change in the cities of the region. In order to solve this knowledge gap, a group of experts from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), with the support of journalists, developed a practical study entitled “The path to Smart Cities: from traditional management to smart city”.
For the IDB, a Smart City is one that places people at the center of development, incorporates information and communication technologies into urban management and uses these elements as tools that encourage the formation of an efficient government, which encompasses collaborative planning and participation. citizen, thus establishing a long-term vision. “By promoting integrated and sustainable development, smart cities become more innovative, competitive, attractive and resilient,” said Mauricio Bouskela, Senior Specialist in Housing and Urban Development at the IDB.
50 examples of smart solutions
Since 2011, the IDB has supported cities in Latin America and the Caribbean in the development of smart city designs in partnership with strategic allies and companies such as KHRIS (Korean Research Institute for Human Settlements), Cisco, Microsoft, Everis, among others.
Currently, these studies have been carried out in the cities of Guadalajara, Mexico (Creative Digital City) and in several other intermediate cities in the region that participate in the Emerging and Sustainable Cities Program (CES), such as Goiânia, Vitória, João Pessoa, Florianópolis and Palmas (Brazil); Montego Bay (Jamaica), Barranquilla, Valledupar and Villavicencio (Colombia), Montevideo (Uruguay), Valdivia (Chile) and Nassau (Bahamas). The main areas of operation of these projects are citizen security, mobility, management of emergencies and natural disasters, connectivity, citizen participation and integrated operation and control centers, among others.
The publication brings 50 examples of smart solutions adopted by cities and proposes a path for those cities that wish to migrate to a more efficient management, based on the generation, collection and treatment of data. Cities such as Buenos Aires (Argentina), Bogotá and Medellín (Colombia), Rio de Janeiro and Niterói (Brazil), Chihuahua (Mexico), Nassau (Bahamas), among others, have had successful experiences in 11 different themes. The study also brings the 13 designs of smart cities projects in Latin America and the Caribbean that the IDB has been supporting. The publication is available for download in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
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