Smart City Platform Use Cases

Executive Overview

As a “system of systems,” smart city platforms enable the many functional siloes of a city to be connected and work together in a common environment.  This is key, because no system or function exists in a vacuum.  What happens in power transmission and distribution, for example, has an impact on every aspect of a city.  Stormwater management has in impact on transportation systems and emergency response systems.  Most municipal end users, however, remain unfamiliar with smart city platforms or their value, be it economic, social, or environmental. 

This report provides a definition of what a smart city platform is and what it can do, supported by several real-world use cases. 

Smart City Platforms Defined

Smart city platforms serve to unify data and information from the many siloed systems currently in place. The platforms provide a common mechanism for visualizing and managing data, and, most importantly, optimizing overall city operations.  More end users and owner-operators are starting to realize the value of unified smart city platforms.  These can provide seamless access to data across multiple systems and operating domains to create a unified and holistic view of the overall performance and state of the city and its various functions. 

Smart city platforms perform many functions.  These include analytics, remote asset monitoring, performance management, decision support and/or presentation support.  At its core, the smart city platform should include a common environment for visualization, advanced applications, analytics, and contextualized data. 

Smart city platforms should also include elements for cybersecurity and may include capabilities to manage devices, systems, and networks.  Common APIs and application development tools may be included as well as other advanced functions such as GIS and location services, advanced reporting, and simulation. 

Key Architectural Elements of Smart City Platforms

Smart city platforms should provide a mechanism for common visualization across multiple functional domains.  A true smart city platform should also provide data and information in context.  In other words, it should provide the right data and information to the right people at the right time in an actionable context. The platform must support analytics and advanced applications and be cyber secure.  This includes validation of secure development practices and adherence to standards and best practices from the design of the system through its installation and operational phase. 

Visualization

Many smart city platform providers talk about a “single pane of glass” that enables end users to visualize the many functions of a smart city.  This common visualization and human machine interface are an essential part of the smart city platform.  Common visualization can improve situational awareness for operators and can reduce training costs significantly. New advancements in operator interface design make it easier for end users to spot critical information and make operational improvements. 

Data Management

Smart city platforms should include a common mechanism for data management.  With a true smart city platform, data from any smart city system or application domain should be accessible by anyone that requires it from any point in the system.  A strong partner ecosystem and APIs that allow integration with a broad spectrum of applications is also important. 

Smart cities must also be able to turn the millions of data points from intelligent sensors and other connected assets into useful information.  For this reason, a good smart city platform should provide a mechanism for common contextualization of data throughout the system. 

Connectivity and Networks

Smart city platforms must provide connectivity to a wide range of operational technology (OT) and other networks and protocols all the way down to the sensor level.  These include protocols like BACnet and LONworks for building automation systems as well as a wide range of Ethernet-based networks and other networks that incorporate the IP suite of technologies, including wireless networks.  The influx of IoT-based solutions and industrial edge solutions also drives increased adoption of newer networking technologies such as 5G and MQTT. 

Cybersecurity

Smart city platforms must incorporate cybersecurity pervasively across the system throughout its lifecycle.  This includes secure development lifecycle practices for application development, relevant security certification for products and applications, cybersecurity through project implementation, and the incorporation of cybersecurity discipline in the operational phase of the system through proper training, work processes, and cybersecurity products and services.

Assessing the security of new system components and IoT devices (both industrial and otherwise) is an additional challenge.  User organizations currently trust that manufacturers have development processes in place to help ensure security in all hardware and software.  Independent third-party testing and/or auditing can help validate this trust.  Purchasing products from companies that have certified compliance to recognized industrial cybersecurity standards is both prudent and a recommended best practice.

Many industry sectors have certifying or registering bodies that will evaluate products or applications for conformance to certain cybersecurity specifications.  In a broad sense, the smart cities space lacks such a certifying body.  However, some existing standards and certification/registration programs cover key aspects for smart cities and infrastructure.  Most of these are on the infrastructure side for applications like power transmission and distribution, gas transmission and distribution, and water and wastewater.  The overlap of these applications into the industrial sector provides access to a range of standards and certification programs such as ISA/IEC 62443 and ISASecure product certification.

Products, applications, and services for cybersecurity can include firewalls, endpoint protection solutions (antivirus and application whitelisting), threat detection and response solutions, asset inventory solutions, security information and event management, and more.  Cybersecurity services also cover the lifecycle from assessment-related services through operational services such as outsourced security operations centers (SOCs). 

Analytics and Advanced Applications

Advanced applications, including analytics-enabled applications, form a large portion of the business value proposition associated with smart cities.  Smart city platforms must provide an open and secure environment that enables these applications to take the myriad data points from different sources and turn them into useful, contextual information that can be used to make intelligent and timely decisions about city operations. 

Application Sectors

A true smart city platform must be able to consolidate data and information from multiple application sectors.  Major applications for smart city platforms include transportation, energy, public safety and security, environment, and governance functions.  

Table of Contents

• Executive Overview
• Smart City Platforms Defined
• Developing Good Use Cases for Smart City Platforms
• Use Case #1: COVID-19 Management and Resiliency
• Use Case #2: Improving Public Safety and Emergency Response
• Use Case #3: A Unified View of Water Resources
• Recommendations

ARC Advisory Group clients can view the complete report at  ARC Client Portal

If you would like to buy this report or obtain information about how to become a client, please  Contact Us