600BC
is the rough date of the
earliest surviving map
of the world – the Babylonian World Map
S u c c e ss f u l s m a rt i n i t i at i v e s
n e e d r e a l-t i m e i n f or m at i o n
str e a m s a bout e v e r y ph y s i c a l
a ss e t to e n a b l e i n f or m e d hu m a n
or m a c h i n e - m a d e d e c i s i o n s
information, most of it happening in
real time, to enable the human or
machine decision maker to make
better-informed choices. For it to be
successful, information about every
physical asset becomes a necessity. A
window into the challenge of this is the
requirements for driverless vehicles or
connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs).
CAVs will need to find their way
reliably and safely through a vast system
of busy streets while interacting with
driven and other autonomous vehicles,
connected traffic lights and traffic
management systems, and being mindful
of pedestrians, cyclists and other
potential risks. They will also need to
understand the best routes, in real time,
between the journey’s start and end
points. To do this, advanced connectivity
such as 5G technology is a must for
getting live data feeds to and from CAVs.
But without pin-point precision
(information about where those sensors
have been placed on a building, next to an
asset, or in a field), it won’t be possible to
connect data seamlessly, or minimise the
risks involved for people depending on it.
Citizen Engagement
Through interactive maps
Asset information also facilitates citizen
engagement and an increase in social
capital. For example, the MK:Smart
Future Cities project is a large
collaborative initiative to develop
innovative solutions to support economic
growth in Milton Keynes. One of the areas
being looked at is how to make Milton
Keynes an energy efficient city.
Using different OS geospatial datasets,
an Open Energy Map was created to
identify properties suitable for various
sustainable energy options. This included
analysing the suitability of residential
and commercial gardens for ground
source heat pumps (GSHP), which extract
warmth from the ground to heat radiators
and water in the home. Available garden
spaces – without obstructions such as
Our concept of what a
map was, is, and can be
must evolve
trees – can now be identified for their
potential suitability for a GSHP. The
suitable properties are then attributed
with address information and numerical
data relating to potential yield from an
installed GSHP. The GSHP suitability
dataset is fed into the Open Energy Map.
Residents and businesses can access this
Map from the council website to see if
their property is suitable for GSHP
installation, as well as the potential yield.
As new datasets are created – for example
solar roof suitability – these will be added
to present an ever more broad range of
information options for every property.
Another initiative being investigated
is the purchasing of people’s footsteps
and encouraging them to walk more. This
works by people arriving at a bus stop and
being offered a discounted fare to walk on
to the next stop, where they will still
catch the same bus. The theory is that
they’re being nudged towards a more
active lifestyle by being encouraged to
participate in a community wellness
game, which can have a positive effect
on people’s health and wellbeing.
S m a r t a s p i r at i o n s
of towns and cities
Citizen involvement in the planning
stage is also crucial to the Smart
aspirations of towns and cities. As part
of our consultancy work in Dubai, to
devise a strategy to help the emirate in
its ambitions to be ‘the happiest and
smartest city in the world’, residents
were interviewed to find out what could
make their life better.
This research, along with other
activity, enabled the Ordnance Survey
and our project partner, NXN (a leading
Smart City digital provider), to provide
recommendations and solutions to
help Dubai achieve its ambitions –
notably through improving consumer
experience, security, citizen
identification and mobility.
Ultimately, the Smart journey is
heading towards a place where vast
amounts of data that helps us work, rest
and play is communicated across a robust
network in real time, and as a result the
concept of a map, and what a map is and
can be, is having to evolve in response. ■
OS OpenData is free to use in exchange
for acknowledgment. More information
on maps and geospatial data can be
found by visiting: ordnancesurvey.co.uk
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