The world is rapidly changing, and technology is evolving at an incredible pace. The concept of smart cities has become increasingly popular as an answer to the growing challenges that urban areas face. However, rural areas also have their unique set of problems, and the idea of smart villages has emerged to help solve them. The question is, can we have both smart cities and smart villages, and is there a quick way to achieve this?

The answer is a bit complicated. On the one hand, we can have both smart cities and smart villages. In fact, some experts argue that smart villages are essential to achieving sustainable and inclusive development (A special biased love given to SDG 4,6,7,9,11, and 13). After all, rural areas make up a significant portion of the global population, and they need to be included in the digital era. On the other hand, there is no quick way to achieve both smart cities and smart villages. It requires significant investment in technology, infrastructure, and planning.

To achieve both smart cities and smart villages, we need to work together. Governments and private sector entities need to create a supportive policy and regulatory environment that encourages investment in smart city and smart village solutions. This can include tax incentives, subsidies, and other financial incentives that encourage private sector investment. By working together, we can share risks and rewards and accelerate progress towards achieving both smart cities and smart villages.

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) can also play a crucial role in accelerating progress. PPPs can help leverage the expertise and resources of the private sector to mitigate the risks associated with investment in smart city and smart village solutions. To put this to context, the Kenya Vision 2030 secretariat is keen on enacting public-private partnerships as a final leg to see the actualization of the Silicon Savannah dream[1]. By working together, governments and private sector entities can share the risks and rewards and accelerate progress towards achieving both smart cities and smart villages.

Finally, there is a need for increased investment in research and development to create innovative solutions that address the unique challenges faced by rural communities. This can include developing new technologies that improve access to healthcare, education, and clean water, as well as new business models that support sustainable economic growth in rural areas – in line with UN-Habitat’s approach to people-centred smart cities[2]. Solutions for these problems largely depend on connectivity for local innovation – an issue that calls for bridging of the digital divide in the country. This backhaul problem solved, and coated with digital skilling will for sure increase access to government services while catalysing local problem-specific innovation across different sectors, top of list being around Smart Homes, Smart Agriculture, Smart Cities Applications, Automated Weather and Climate Monitoring Solutions, Smart Logistics, Pollution Control, Smart Disaster Management, Smart Healthcare, Renewable Energy Usage and Intelligent Industry 4.0 solutions.

In conclusion, achieving both smart cities and smart villages is critical to ensuring sustainable and inclusive development. While there is no quick way to achieve this, we can work together to create a supportive policy and regulatory environment, leverage PPPs, and invest in research and development. By working together, we can ensure that no community is left behind in the digital revolution era.

References

[1] https://unhabitat.org/programme/people-centered-smart-cities#:~:text=The%20flagship%20programme%20%E2%80%9CPeople%2Dcentered,and%20human%20rights%20in%20cities.
[2] https://vision2030.go.ke/public-private-partnerships-to-drive-final-leg-of-vision-2030/

Initially published at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/smart-cities-villages-can-we-have-them-both-quick-way-stephen-gitahi%3FtrackingId=o4bSkM5HSd%252BtNfvXch4vEw%253D%253D/?trackingId=o4bSkM5HSd%2BtNfvXch4vEw%3D%3D