Our drive for innovation combined with the staggering rates at which we are making technological advances have given rise to new, stylish, sleek cityscapes, or smart cities. What can we expect for the future of these smart cities? Here are the top ten books to find more information on this fascinating subject.
1. Smart Cities, Smarter State: The Technologies of Expertise and the Future of Governing
Written by Beth Novek, this book discusses the current state of governance and citizen engagement through the lens of business, academia, and political expertise. She makes a strong argument for integrating new technologies and tools to help increase citizen participation in local governance.
2. Smart Cities: Big Data, Civic Hackers, and the Quest for a New Utopia
Anthony Townsend looks at how today’s technology is addressing many of the same timeless issues of government and the increasing problems of mass human settlement of previously unimagined sizes. Townsend explores all possibilities, positive and negative, of what happens when digitisation is applied to city life.
3. Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, Happier
Contrary to what people think, cities are some of the best places to live. Author Edward Glaeser shatters many long-held beliefs about living in a city. For example, people living in New York City, live longer than other Americans. “This book gives valuable information and makes a strong case for the future of smart cities,” says Krista Gross, a writer at Boomessays and Liahelp.
4. Smart Cities, Introducing Digital Innovation to Cities
This book points out the discrepancies between cities embracing the new emerging technologies and cities that are behind the trend. Often it is recognised that steps must be taken, however, the best way to go is often unclear. This book identifies and answers many of those questions for cities that are unsure how to proceed.
5. The Smart Enough City: Putting Technology in its Place to Reclaim Our Urban Future
Author Ben Green argues that looking at city life only through the lens of technology is harmful. We must tread very carefully. He proposes that cities should therefore aim to be ‘smart enough’, using smart technology with other forms of social change.
6. Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age
Clay Shirky dives into how technology can be used to create and connect people. The author discusses the collective use of free time to create and share cognitive resources. It is a beautifully written book of how technology can help spread generosity across the globe.
7. The Future is Faster than you Think: How Converging Technologies are Transforming Business, Industry and Our Lives
Authors, Diamandis and Kotler, look at how the rapid growth in technological advances will affect our future. What happens when AI, robotics, digital biology, and sensors meet 3D printing, global gigabit networks, and blockchain? “How will technology impact how we raise our kids and govern our nations? This book explores the answers to these questions and many more,” ,” says Nicole Coyer, a book blogger at State Of Writing and OXEssays.
8. Smart Green Cities
Woodrow Clarke II and Grant Cooke dive deep into what needs to be done within smart cities to make them sustainable. They discuss the infrastructure needs and develop solid ideas for guidelines, processes, and best practices to achieve sustainability.
9. Digital Citizenship: The Internet, Society, and Participation
Mossberger, Tolbert, and MacNeal discuss the nature of digital citizenship and how large segments of the population are still being excluded from participating in it. They provide new evidence for the need for all citizens to participate digitally.
10. Uneven Innovation: The Work of Smart Cities
In her book, Jennifer Clarke explores the potential of quickly emerging technologies of the future and how they may impact and exacerbate the ongoing issues of inequality and maybe even create new issues.
These books are sure to get you thinking about the future of smart cities as we know them. They offer a broad look at the challenges facing smart cities as well as offering a noticeably clear picture of the benefits and problems that new technology offers us as a society.
Author:
Katherine Rundell is an environmental blogger at UK Writings and Academized. She writes articles about smart cities and is also a proofreader at Paperfellows.com writing service
