Smart cities promise to streamline communications, improve the lives of citizens, and save energy and money. This guide looks at the emergence of smart city technologies and how they’re working so far.

From the guide:

Smart cities are no longer the wave of the future. They are here now and growing quickly as the Internet of Things (IoT) expands and affects municipal services around the globe.

The smart city industry is projected to be a $400 billion market by 2020, with 600 cities worldwide. These cities are expected to generate 60% of the world’s GDP by 2025, according to McKinsey research.

While there are many definitions of a smart city, in general, a smart city utilizes IoT sensors, actuators, and technology to connect components across the city. It affects every layer of a city, from underneath the streets to the air that citizens are breathing. Data from all segments is analyzed, and patterns are derived from the collected data.