Connected cities: Enabling better outcomes for all
As we look to the future and consider the environmental and social benefits of a connected city, we are already beginning to see the immense opportunity our generation has been given to harness digital solutions to make these ideas a reality and leverage technology for good.
Improved community safety
An online “Safe Places” survey was launched in Australia to understand the perceptions of safety in public spaces across select cities, with a focus on women’s safety. The results of this map-based online survey will be used to inform the design of safe and inclusive public places. The survey platform allows members of the community to drop a pin on a location and provide responses about how they feel in a specific part of the city. The survey was designed with a mobile- first user experience, including geo-location features, simple QR code access and an easy to complete (on mobile) survey form. The survey attracted over 1,000 interactions within the first three-month pilot period.
Enhanced livability
When the U.K.’s Uttlesford District Council wanted to provide a vision and framework for addressing their district housing and infrastructure, they turned to an online solution. Through interactive mapping and engaging information, they were able to clearly communicate their proposals with the community and gather sentiment from them about the proposed changes.
The information was provided to the community through an online engagement platform where the technology enabled a more accessible, transparent and user-friendly format. As users were reading the content, the interactive maps adjusted in alignment with the text information, giving readers the ability to easily understand the context and relevance of what they were reading. In-app surveys allowed site visitors to provide feedback quickly and easily on proposed changes and information.
Improved outcomes for the natural environment
To better understand the impact of rewilding 100 acres of land in the Scottish Highlands to native forest, the Natural Capital Laboratory used state-of-the-art technologies to collect and manage data, including the use of drones, artificial intelligence, satellite data, thermal imaging, 3D visualizations and virtual reality. This live, collaborative research project was designed to test and commercialize new techniques for measuring and valuing the environmental and the social impact of land management activities. Data is transformed into a visual, accessible and engaging experience through an online information portal, drawing together complex information such as the habitat type, species number and soil depth, to record how they change over time.
A first of its kind, this Digital Natural Capital Account has been developed to provide an engaging way of monitoring and communicating the habitats, species, ecosystem services, and environmental and social values associated with the site.