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Future gazing: Start blockchain adoption for smart cities today

The push for smart cities is beginning to pick up steam as local leaders look for methods to reduce expenses, reorganise workflows, and improve their environmental standing.

Future gazing: Start blockchain adoption for smart cities today
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CHENNAI: Even if you haven’t seen Back to the Future II, chances are you’ve at least heard of Doc Brown and Marty McFly’s escapades. Through a time machine, the pair go to the year 2015. They depict a 2015 that already exists, complete with voice control assistants, fingerprint-scanning door locks, and smart homes. And hey, are we not seeing than now? Prophetic!

The push for smart cities is beginning to pick up steam as local leaders look for methods to reduce expenses, reorganise workflows, and improve their environmental standing.

Whatever the case, the growth and management of cities will increasingly rely on technology and be extensively digitalised. Smart cities are those that are technologically advanced, creative, and reliant on technology. The creation and administration of these cities are significantly influenced by advanced technologies.

One such technology that is necessary to build cities that are more resilient, secure, transparent, and efficient is blockchain. By addressing these societal problems and enhancing daily operations, the use of blockchain in the construction of smart cities will be extremely important for the growth and management of the city. Blockchain is impacting almost all facets of the contemporary digital economy, bringing transparency and efficiency to financial transactions, trade agreements, contract management, and business administration.

Blockchain has many benefits for sharing and merging data without sacrificing security or trust.

For starters, it is extremely challenging to alter data once it has been added to a blockchain ledger since doing so would require simultaneously breaking into many hardened storage sites. Advanced management software also only makes data available to those who need it, preventing the widespread dissemination of private and personal information. Let us see a few great applications of this revolutionary technology vis-à-vis smart cities. Many more are there but this should be good to start off with.

Better waste management is a great application. In smart cities, blockchain would contribute to keeping the air clean and the hygiene standards high by offering real-time tracking of many waste management-related factors. For instance, it can offer visible, unchangeable data on the quantity of waste collected, the individuals responsible for collecting it, and the methods used for recycling or disposal. This is being piloted in India as well.

By using fewer resources, we are all working towards a greener and cleaner planet. As blockchain technology is used to create future smart cities, resource conservation is a top priority. This results in additional energy savings. Further, a blockchain-based network can be used to track citizens’ energy usage. Additionally, residents can exchange incentives for surplus electricity with other members.

Blockchain technology can enhance transportation services in smart cities. It can help create a point-to-point vehicular network. An efficient vehicle tracking system, secure vehicle and driver registration, and notification of important updates are all possible with such a network. It is a technology that can be used in smart cities to track secure vehicle owner data to decrease auto thefts and enhance the sale and resale of vehicles, for example.

Countries across the globe are implementing blockchain for smart cities. More sooner than later, blockchain will be used in every area of functioning in smart cities. The time to implement is NOW!

Raj Kapoor
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