With enough sensors and data processing power it is theoretically possible to understand almost every problem, conflict and desire in a city. From that point it is simply a matter of implementing solutions that best serve those elements. There is space for innovation at every level and as new technology emerges it provides new opportunities for improvement. Enacting and staying on top of all these aspects would create the perfect smart city, theoretically. In reality, things are very different. A number of issues, not least cost and privacy, prevent the omnipresence of sensor technology, meaning data used to plan a smart city is incomplete. Implementation of solutions and strategies is inevitably tied up in bureaucracy, often misrepresents the desires of the citizens and is usually burdened by cost. The smart city may promise to create urban utopias but the reality is that cities are creating almost as many problems as they are solving in the […]