Page 18 - WTM Cities Report
P. 18

Asian cities vying to be  rst smart cities
To ensure continued arrivals growth and sustainable expansion, Asian cities are steaming ahead with initiatives to become smart cities.
Seoul and Hong Kong are both serious contenders. Seoul is home to Samsung and LG and is expected to o er the  rst 5G network during the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. All households in Seoul have access to broadband, making it a global leader.
Hong Kong’s Octopus Card, which can be used to pay for public transport and in shops, restaurants and vending machines, was one of the world’s  rst contactless smart cards. Today, the city is focusing on transforming its Science Park into a smart city.
Singapore is becoming more congested as arrival numbers rise; as a result, it is working with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on mobility, health and the environment projects as part of the city-state’s Smart Nation programme, under the Prime Minister’s supervision.
Successful smart cities of the future will combine the best aspects of technology infrastructure, while making the most of the growing potential of "collaborative technologies" and, above all, the citizens who power them.
Nesta
ASIA
© 2017 Euromonitor International 15


































































































   16   17   18   19   20