Smart city is often misinterpreted as a digital city where everything is automated.

Smart city is more than that robotic caprice that people have in their mind, Something like IRON MAN or even the WORLD of Thor and SUPERMAN or shall I say, MAN of steel. Ever been to Hong Kong? Korea? UAE? Or Singapore? By smart city we mean fusion of the physical capital to the social one thru better services and infrastructure. It is carrying information technology and POLITICAL vision into improvements Now, let us discuss the root of Smart city. Transport Oriented Development. In Hong Kong we have the MTR, subway stations are interconnected from city to city thru buildings. A cash less society where all you have to do is to load up your OCTOPUS Card and tap it to the station. We also have the Ngoh Ping 360 which is a cable car station that would let the passenger travel back and forth to Lantau Island and Tian Tau. In Manila, we have MRT 1, 2 and 3 as well as LRT. The only cable car in manila that I ever saw was the one in Boom na Boom carnival. Internet. like carrying all your data wherever you go. We now have e-ticket, epurse, and e-shopping. Thanks to the web. Security and safety. Have you ever take a walk at the sidewalk of Taguig? Sampaloc or even at the public market of Baguio? Ever tried playing your Ipod on the go ad suddenly the music stops and the device is gone? Have you ever been to UAE where you may even leave your Iphone at the plaza and no one will ever take it? How is that possible? The CCTV cameras probably is the most effective way to catch criminals and crimes happening anywhere. Sustainability. By sustainability we mean the ability to provide the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of the future generation to provide their needs. And more than anything, an intelligent nation. Educated citizen, it is the ability of people to use the technology provided through supervised instructions and procedural manuals. Sounds like RM and Technical Writing? Now what does a smart city looks like? What exactly urges the planners, designers, architects, engineers and other stakeholders to inject the smart concept of change? According to the FORESIGHT JOURNAL January 2013 issue by ARUP. In 2050 the population will have reached 9 billion where 75% of which will be living in cities. Until then, climate change, resource scarcity, rising energy cost and adverse effect of manmade and natural disaster would have shaped our vision of a built in environment. As he city reach their heights, urban sprawl, rerouting of transits will no longer be the solution instead the demographics and lifestyle change will become the major catalyst shift towards an increase in dense urban environment. As city living takes in the center stage, what are we going to expect from the design and function of urban structures? FLEXIBLE STRUCTURES. Designing for continuous adaptability. Prefabrication and modular systems are moved and assembled by robots that work seamlessly to install, repair, remove and upgrade building components.

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE. The ability of the urban space to produce more resources than it consumes. And how is that possible? In Australia, they uses natural gas to sustain their energy, in Philippines, we have the Jatropa Curcas as sources of bio-fuel. In Pangasinan and some part of Luzon and Mindanao, we have the HYDROELECTRIC power plants that supply our needs in electricity. In UAE, particularly in MASDAR CITY which is 17 km. away from ABU DHABI we have the solar energy as a source of energy. Furthermore, energy production isnt only the proof of sustainability. In our past planning class we have discussed that one concrete proof that the urban space is sustainable if possesses GREEN SPACES, GREENBELTS, and OPEN SPACES. These are integral elements of n urban environment. Thing is, the living ecosystem shall remain sacred over time. Dalai Lama REACTIVE FAADE of buildings. The ability to adapt to changes. A sensitive and multifunctional facades. By 2050, would we be certain that photovoltaic will readily be available in the form of paints for meaningful energy consumption and a membrane system that converts CO2 to oxygen and the in situ production of bio fuels from methane or trashes COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. The involvement of public realm where every building become an important part of the community. SMART SYSTEMS. A city that has brain? By that we mean the ability of monitoring reflectivity and heat balance, minimized UHI and a customizable components and building systems that can be modified to meet the needs of the stakeholders. It is the possibility of the net-zero energy waste.