By Mashum Mollah
If we have learned anything from recent years, it’s that if Google is investing in something, then it’s the real deal. The talk of smart city development has been making noise for a while now, but the reality of connected towns and cities has never felt closer to fruition than right now. Because tech tycoon, Google, has just revealed plans to transform Toronto into a ‘smart city’ with a waterfront makeover.
The Google office, located by Toronto’s stylish harbour, will be the first one to be part of such a futuristic project. With Sidewalk Labs, a division of Google parent Alphabet Inc., pumping in an initial $50 million investment for the year-long Toronto Waterfront Project.
But the search engine’s involvement is just the beginning. Projects are happening all over the world, with the everything from flying taxis and Big Macs delivered by drones to buildings that can talk.
This fantastic infographic shows us what we can expect in our lifetimes. What will our cities and homes look like in say 10, 20 or 30 years from now? The data in this interactive graphic pulls together various studies, reports and sources and gives you a realistic view of the future.
Image Course: Smart City of the Future Infographic
The Future of Smart Transport
Transport of the future is going to be game changing. For the environment, for tackling pollution, for resources, and for saving people time and money. Daily commuters will benefit from highly efficient road systems, and advanced transport solutions will make travel more accessible for everyone.
According to the infographic, global taxi company Uber aims to roll out its on-demand electric flying car service to cities worldwide by the year 2030. According to Uber, these flying taxis will be cheaper than driving a car, have zero emission output, and cause minimal noise.
Drones could also be the main means of delivery by 2050, meaning that takeaways will land from above (on time and still piping hot) and the postal service could be completely replaced. Followed by smart cargo in 2060, with ports using hyperloop to move containers around the world.
Building Design & Connectivity
In addition to the changes that we will see on our roads and within our urban transport networks, there will also be advancements in the way we develop buildings. In less than 2 years, there will be 43% of homes and office buildings using smart heating that is connected to the internet. And 69% of consumers will own one or more IoT device in 2019.
Our homes will become green, eco-friendly buildings. Allowing homeowners to manage heating levels and energy consumption. Smart appliances will help us clean, run and look after our homes for efficiently; plus automation and A.I will help to save us time.
By 2050, the smart home could evolve in an entirely ‘living’ building. One that can adjust to the needs of its residents and visitors. Perhaps even built with A.I capabilities and voice activated settings so you can manage the different features of your building by simply talking to it. To see more possibilities, take a look at ARUP’s plans for the futuristic urban skyscraper.
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