Ancient Rome was, at its peak, the greatest power in the world. Roman engineering and architectural achievements survive to this day in the form of aqueducts, roads, and buildings. Roman social institutions have survived for the long haul. And of course, the Roman military was a beacon of professionalism not seen again for hundreds of years. While Rome’s military was successful for numerous reasons, one factor, in particular, was the army’s focus on building group strength through individual contributions. The great Roman legions were powered by thousands of well-trained, well-equipped individual legionaries who collectively were more than the sum of their parts.
The same is true in smart cities, whether or not governments and planners acknowledge it. The best smart city initiatives in the world need to “talk” to buildings and local spaces in order to be fully efficient. To simplify, if the vision of smart cities is an operating system for urban areas, it doesn’t make much sense if each building in the city has its own OS, none of which can talk to each other.
