What Is a Smart City?

A smart city uses digital technology to connect, protect, and enhance the lives of citizens. IoT sensors, video cameras, social media, and other inputs act as a nervous system, providing the city operator and citizens with constant feedback so they can make informed decisions.

How does a smart city work?

A smart city collects and analyzes data from IoT sensors and video cameras. In essence, it "senses" the environment so that the city operator can decide how and when to take action. Some actions can be performed automatically. For example, a public waste bin can contact the city for service when it is near capacity instead of waiting for a scheduled pickup.

What are the benefits of a smart city?

For city agencies:

  • Gain more citizen engagement and optimize operations through real-time data intelligence and intra-agency collaboration.

For citizens:

  • Improve daily life through city services. Smart cities offer visibility into real-time city data for improving mobility, connectivity, and safety services.

For businesses:

  • Drive new revenue streams and economic development by enhancing awareness of customer activity and behavior.

For developers and vendors:

  • Fuel application development of city data. Help the city improve operational efficiencies, engage citizens, and boost economic viability.

Types

Air quality

Monitor the air so you'll know when to regulate emissions.

Communication architecture

Connect with citizens and tourists through interactive kiosks and mobile apps, offering information based on their location.

Environment

Visualize and analyze all the city data to better decide when and how to act.

See our environment solution

Lighting

Lower energy consumption, cut costs, and simplify maintenance.

See our lighting solution

Parking

Generate revenue with demand-based parking and reduce parking-space search time for citizens.

See our parking solution

Public Wi-Fi

Citywide Wi-Fi connects sensors but, more importantly, also provides a way for people to connect with the world.

Safety and security

Protect against crime, terrorism, and civil unrest, and respond more quickly to emergencies with advanced video analytics.

See our safety and security solution

Transportation

Reduce congestion and pollution through traffic management.

See our transportation solution

Urban mobility

Understand where people move and spend their time and use those insights for city planning.

See our urban mobility solution

Waste management

When waste bins are connected, city workers can collect them as needed. Save staff time and resources.

Water management

Safe, efficient water flow is an essential resource for any city.

Get started

Learn more about Cisco products and solutions related to smart cities.

Chat live with a Cisco representative

Cisco:

  • Welcome to Cisco!
  • How can I help you?