Glasgow Looks to Become a “Smart City”

As a wonderful example of how our language is constantly changing, Glasgow's attempt to become one of Britain's “Smart Cities” has nothing to do with the standard of dress worn by the locals, or the city council giving the park railings a quick once over with a fresh coat of paint.

The Smart referred to relates to access to about £24 million of Government grants to upgrade the infrastructure of the city's services, such as real times traffic information, analytical software and security cameras. It is also hoped that it will help to identify and prevent crime in the city and monitor energy levels to find new ways of providing gas and electricity to poorer areas where fuel poverty is a big issue.


Glasgow will not be the UK's only smart city. Others including Birmingham, Sunderland and London are beginning to roll out technologies to make services work more smartly. The grant was offered by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), a body set up by the government in 2007 to stimulate technology-enabled innovation. Its Future Cities Demonstrator, as the prize is known, is intended to act as a blueprint for other cities.

"Glasgow has some quite extreme challenges - it has the lowest life expectancy of any city in the UK for instance - and the hope is that if we bring together energy, transport, public safety and health it will make it more efficient and a better place to live," said Scott Cain, the TSB's project leader for Future Cities.

Glasgow was among 30 cities in the UK bidding for the money, with the shortlist including London, Peterborough and Bristol. Universities and Science Minister David Willetts was in Glasgow to make the announcement.

"With more people than ever before living in our cities, they need to be able to provide people with a better quality of life and a thriving economy," he said. From transport systems to energy use and health, this demonstrator will play a key part in the government's industrial strategy and give real insight into how our cities can be shaped in the future," he added.

Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon welcomed the news. She said: "Generations of talented Scots have helped cement Glasgow's global reputation for innovation and creativity, and I am delighted the city has won its bid to secure the £24m Future Cities demonstrator."

Councillor Gordon Matheson, leader of Glasgow City Council, added: "This is a huge boost to Glasgow's ambitions to build a better future for our city and its people. By linking everything from foot and vehicle traffic to council tax collection and hospital waiting lists we can ensure we are being as innovative and smart to meet the continued challenges of a modern and future city life."