Cities are steadily becoming smarter, even if you haven't noticed it. Consider something as ordinary as a traffic light. They adapt to traffic situations, autonomously moderating the flow of cars, prioritizing public transport vehicles, and ensuring emergency services pass smoothly. That is a common standard in European cities, as it is relatively easy to implement. Citizen cooperation isn't necessary; it merely requires a group of nerds capable of coding the rulesets for the hundreds or thousands of traffic light crossings in the city.
And then… Well, it’s usually dull people who prevent cities from becoming smart. Technologies exist and evolve so rapidly that we cannot keep up, though that is not the keen issue. The concept of Smart City necessitates active citizen participation. Even with vast amounts of big data, without human touch, we risk creating an Orwellian-style "algocracy" (algorithmic governance) that people would presumably dislike, fear, or even hate, regardless of the intentions behind it. Like any tool or technology, from fire to space exploration, Smart City can help or harm.
MiNT – Madrid iNTeligente Smart Platform scheme (source)
I can compare two cities I consider somewhat like home, Prague in the Czech Republic and Madrid in Spain—both country capitals. Madrid is miles ahead, perhaps due to the higher competition among Spanish cities. Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla, and even Málaga also attract skilled experts from around the globe, while Prague dominates its region with no real rival. The competitive pressure likely urged the Madrid city council to collaborate with IBM and launch MiNT (Madrid iNTeligente) in 2014.
What else drove Madrid to become a trailblazer in this field? The educated people. Spain ranks among the EU countries with the highest share of people with tertiary education, while the Czech Republic is among the bottom five. Both Prague and Madrid attract talents from surrounding regions as fresh graduates tend to stay in their study city or move to larger cities for better job opportunities and fulfillment. Still, Madrid can attract more skilled individuals, not to mention experts from Latin America.
Population with tertiary education, data by OECD (source)
Spaniards typically spend their time in the streets, enjoying public spaces and being highly social. In contrast, Czechs are often reserved and less open to strangers. That’s one of the first perks of our nature expats note. Google "what are Czechs like" and have fun. Spanish people generally care about their barrio, engaging in public affairs in the cities and towns I've visited. Spaniards love vivid cities. For Czechs, living in the suburbs is appealing because of the anonymity and the fact nobody really cares about others. This mindset is hardly promising for the Smart City concept, especially considering that over 40% of Praguers live in such environments.
And there is one thing that continues to surprise me. It’s been 35 years since we broke free from communism, yet the vast majority of Czechs still don’t speak any foreign language. I'd understand if people from bordering regions with Germany and Austria excelled in German but lacked English, but this is not the case. While Smart City tools and apps can be localized, the inability to communicate with people from other countries and cultures, combined with insular social bubbles, prevents Czech society from making the leap to mass-scale implementation of Smart City technologies, keeping it trapped in a post-communist, self-centered mentality.
MiNT – Madrid iNTeligente, 2019 environmental project scheme (source)
As a side note, there are, of course, Czechs who have busted the bubble or rather expanded it to have a wider perspective. They can speak at least one language fluently and are open-minded toward strangers and foreigners. Some have even become crypto-celebrities, like Marek Palatinus AKA Slush. Yet, even in Prague, which generally feels like a European city, there are still not enough such people to drive the change. That's why we lag behind.
This is my entry to May Inleo writing prompt for May 3.
