Smart City vs. Normal City: What Are the Differences?

What distinctions are there between a smart city vs a normal city? Conceptually separating the two is important to determine the true functionality and nature of real smart cities. These progressive urban centers capitalize on technology to increase the interactivity and efficiency of available infrastructure while fostering citizen awareness and engagement. Let’s take a closer look at the smart city playbook to understand what it really entails.

Table of Contents

• Transportation & Traffic Management
• Citizen Engagement – Differences between Smart City vs Normal City
• Air Quality

Transportation & Traffic Management

One key difference separating a smart city vs a normal city lies in the way the local government handles public and private transportation. Thanks to intelligent transportation systems, smart cities operate on real-time data to optimize traffic flow and reduce congestion, directly impacting how people move around the city on a daily basis.

Naturally, smart city public transportation fleets will be greener than their normal city counterparts and predominantly feature electric and fuel-efficient vehicles, as well as robust public transport networks. Additionally, car-sharing systems are prevalent to limit reliance on private car ownership, while bike-sharing services and cycling infrastructure promote ditching emission-based transport altogether.

Citizen Engagement – Differences between Smart City vs Normal City

By definition, smart cities emphasize citizens’ agency by granting them more control. In normal cities, residents aren’t usually invited to participate actively in the decision-making processes that shape their urban environment. Through advanced connectivity tools, smart city citizens can remain informed about developments in their city, such as weather events and social initiatives, all thanks to a robust IoT platform offered by their city.

Air Quality

Air quality is often seen as a pressing issue and poses a top priority for smart city tech providers and policymakers. Many of the former increasingly integrate AQ solutions into their range of services.

A trusted partner in air quality—like Airly—is essential for developing smart city infrastructure. We’ve been active in the industry and helped countless businesses and governments integrate our smart, easy-to-use air quality sensors into their grid.

Through years of accumulated experience and holistic collaboration, we’ve learned the industry inside and out. We’re ready to lend you our expertise and state-of-the-art solutions to implement air quality management solutions tailored to your exact needs. Chat with us today to learn how we can help.