SmartCities – Are we there yet?

The concept of the Smart City has been discussed for over two decades. While the vision promised digitally connected, responsive and highly efficient urban environments, many professionals now question whether the idea has become another industry buzzword, ambitious in concept but difficult to realise in practice.

Significant progress has been made. Cities today use intelligent traffic systems, connected infrastructure, digital public services and increasingly sophisticated data platforms. Yet these solutions often operate in isolated systems rather than as a fully integrated urban ecosystem, raising the question: are we closer to the SmartCity vision, or have expectations simply been too high?

This CPD session is delivered by Senior Strategy Manager at RIB Software Matthew Jackson, who is a passionate advocate for sustainability and digital transformation in the built environment. Matthew examines the original vision of SmartCities and the reality of where cities are today. He explores the technological, governance and infrastructure challenges that have slowed progress, and consider whether the industry approached the problem with unrealistic expectations of technology and integration.