Technology at the service of daily life: How is China betting on smart cities?

ALDAR/

Amid the accelerating digital transformation, digitalization and artificial intelligence have become essential tools for strengthening the governance of major cities in the People’s Republic of China, by combining modern technologies, scientific management and responsiveness to the needs of residents.

This approach is increasingly evident across China, where digital and intelligent technologies are being used to improve the quality of urban services and enhance accuracy and efficiency in managing various aspects of daily life.

In this regard, the Xiong’an New Area provides a model of this transformation. It relies on cameras and Internet of Things sensors to monitor the city in real time, while an intelligent platform deployed in the Yian community integrates people, homes, events and objects into a unified system.

Through data analysis, artificial intelligence, precise identification and early-warning systems, the city’s components are now subject to digital management extending to the smallest details. Around 166,000 urban components have been incorporated into a full life-cycle management system, including manhole covers, streetlights and barriers.

Smart governance applications are not limited to infrastructure management, but also extend to everyday services for residents. In Shanghai, a “digital booth” operates around the clock, while Hangzhou’s “city brain” covers areas including childcare, elderly care, mobility and medical services.

In Shenzhen, a rapid-response system for residents’ requests enables them to be received, distributed and tracked, while in Nanjing, a smart elderly-care system provides services covering food, medical care and hygiene.

These experiences reflect a drive to use data and technology as tools for understanding residents’ needs and responding to them more quickly and accurately.

They are helping make Chinese cities smarter and more responsive to the needs of society by managing different types of digital data and information, contributing to the development of more efficient and better-organized cities while strengthening the concept of public participation in building a “people’s city”.