Last night, a parked car near city hall and also near a police station was broken into. The thief (or thieves) broke a window and stole valuables inside the car. Based on the account of the victims, they reported the incident to the police but there's very little that could be done. Why? Because the CCTV cameras in the area aren't working.
Of course, the incident made it to social media. And the topic of Baguio City being a "𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆" once again came up. I got curious. What exactly is a smart city? And how did being a smart city become associated with Baguio?
Several years ago, the city under the leadership of Mayor Benjamin Magalong embarked on an ambitious goal to transform Baguio into a progressive smart city by 2027.
In an article at the 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 dated October 2023, Magalong was quoted saying this: "Baguio City’s future is bright and promising, driven by a strong sense of community and forward-thinking governance. Our vision is to transform Baguio into a green, liveable, sustainable, and smart city that can withstand the challenges confronting the future of cities today and seize the digital opportunities that lie ahead to improve the urban quality of life."
That's a very lofty goal but one that is definitely achievable with the right leaders, the right partners, and political will. The ambitious timetable is another matter. 2027 is now just a year away.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆?
A smart city is a city that takes advantage of digital technologies in building its networks, services, and infrastructure. This leads to a more efficient delivery of city services to residents, businesses, and visitors.
According to the European Commission, the following are the requirements for a city to be considered a "smart city":
1. Smart urban transport networks;
2. Improved water supply and waste disposal facilities;
3. More efficient ways to light and heat buildings;
4. More interactive and proactive city administration;
5. Safer public spaces.
With these in mind, would you say that Baguio City is on track of becoming a smart city?
To be fair, there are players in the city administration who have been proactive in pursuing smart city policies and programs. Like the trio of young newcomers at the city council (Dicang, Salvosa, Weygan) who have been pushing tech-related policies like digitization, utilization of artificial intelligence (AI), digital transparency, etc.
#baguio #baguiocity #smartcity #socialmedia #goalsetting
