How to Develop a Citizen Engagement Application
-
Loading... - Emmanuel Mathew
- 20 Jul 2022
- 114 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
The emergence of citizen engagement applications has helped improve the quality of life in urban and rural areas. There are different aspects over which apps have had a positive influence, such as safety, time and convenience, health, environmental quality, social connections, civic participation, jobs and the cost of living. Below are some of the advantages of a citizen engagement app.
Surveillance Systems
Using smart technology in cities can reduce incidents of assault, robbery, burglary and auto theft by 30 to 40%. Smart apps like home security systems, gunshot detection and smart surveillance can optimize response times for emergency services and police. Traffic signals can also be synchronized with smart technology to provide clear driving paths for emergency vehicles, and in doing so, it could reduce response times by 25 to 40%.
Thanks to smart cities, fire detection methods are more efficient. Sensors can be used to monitor parks and wooded areas that are prone to wildfires. The sensors could also sense fires in buildings and send out immediate calls to emergency responders and the fire department.
Furthermore, surveillance cameras and drones can be used to help with law enforcement, firefighting, infrastructure inspections, and monitoring the environment; they can ensure security and monitor areas that aren’t frequented by security officers.
Traffic-free Transportation
It has been predicted that, by 2026, cities will be able to cut commuting times by 15 to 25% by using smart citizen engagement application. Apps and smart transportation systems using sensors embedded in roads and street lights can warn commuters about delays and send navigation alerts of heavy traffic congestion in real-time so they can adjust their commuting methods or change up their driving routes and pick a quicker path to their destination.
IoT sensors on physical structures can also predict when they need to be repaired before breaking down and causing traffic delays. This then helps to reduce the overall travel time and prevent the overuse of fuel. Instead of driving around in circles in the hope of finding a parking space, applications can inform people where there is parking available, saving them time and fuel.
Thanks to smart transportation systems, cameras can be used to capture speed and traffic infractions. For instance, in countries like France and England, there are cameras set up by the side of rural roads and highways to capture people driving too quickly.
Sustainable Living Environment
The use of smart technology in cities is a helpful way to cut down on emissions, track water consumption and air quality levels. According to the latest statistics, cities can save between 30 to 80 liters of water per person each day. Sensors can detect and monitor leaks, runoff, wildlife, and changes in water pressure. They can also identify major sources of air pollution. Sending out SMS alerts to residents about reducing their wastewater production and sharing real-time air quality levels through smartphone apps can help people become more conscious of their habits and maybe even reward them when they use less energy.
Sensors can also be used for smart waste management. They can detect when waste containers are full around the city so sanitation workers are efficient with their routes and garbage pickup locations. Buildings are also using smart technology to remain energy efficient by connecting their energy usage to a mobile device so that certain tasks, like controlling the thermostat, can be managed remotely.
Yes, it is true that smart cities will greatly influence and change the way we go about our everyday lives. But in order to keep up with the major growth in population and the large number of people migrating to cities, this change is definitely for the better.
