How Smart Cities could become Dark Cities
Here is a short and vulgarized exercice on how a “smart city” can become very stupid. All these elements are based on real-life situations that already have happened, existing risks on the rize. I have witnessed some of those, and we should prepare.
Technological risks:
Hackers, energy blackouts, lighting, signals or water supply systems bugging, public transport strikes,… all these will rize by the year. Not only we can be blocked in our appartment towers, with no electricity, no, water, no elevator,…
Pandemics:
No comment. Covid-19 shown us that being locked up at home is not cool.
Food:
If food chains are disrupted, city becomes the last place you want to live. That risk is now higher than ever.
Psychosis:
If you go mad, you risk to drive your family crazy too. I am sure it sound familiar to you too…
Cost of city housing:
For how many years do you have to borrow money to buy an appartment ? 30 years ? What will the city be like in 20 years ? And your job ? What if it becomes a hell, and nobody will want to buy it ? Or what if water rizes up to the ground floor, like in New York ? What if you want to move out ?
Energy:
Energy blackouts stops EVERYTHING now. YES EVERYTHING. No communication, no job, no nothing.
Energy costs rizing, and housing being renovated only at a rate of 0,7%/year… and having a lack of workforce in all building jobs and costs of building mlaterials rizing, we will encounter a “perfect storm” situation also.
Insecurity and poverty:
And what if poverty starts to sicken several areas in the city, like in the movies ? Would you still want to have a nice walk outside ?
OK, maybe this scenario is long term, but it all could accelerate. Fall is faster than rize. Some time, not too far away, get prepared with a Plan B.
Build your resilience island.
Prof. Michel de Kemmeter
