Smart City And The Blockchain

Cities’ infrastructure, services, and residents are increasingly being networked together, which promises to make the urban environment (smart city) safer, more efficient, more convenient, and more responsive to the user. However, as with any data held on a digital network, it is vulnerable to hacking by malicious individuals and black hats. And there are substantial incentives to do so. It might be a ransomware assault, or it could be a hostile government’s cyber strike on crucial infrastructure.

Increasing the security of records

Many governments of all sizes are turning to blockchain technology as they seek new ways to secure record-keeping. Blockchain is a digital technology that is decentralized and preserves a record of all data ‘blocks’ within a peer-to-peer network. These encounters are recorded in a decentralized, networked system. On a blockchain, each batch of data transfers is referred to as a block, and each block is ordered chronologically to build a chain. Because there are dozens or millions of copies of the same chain, the program can swiftly go back in time and review prior ledger entries. This guarantees that hacking attempts are immediately discovered and rectified through comparison. Hacking a blockchain would necessitate incredibly complex programming as well as massive computer power to change at least the majority of blockchains at the same time. In a nutshell, it’s nearly impossible.

This has obvious consequences for municipal governments, which must keep accurate records of property ownership, birth and death certificates, voting records, and so on. The usage of blockchain technology has the potential to save cities millions of dollars in annual expenditures associated with keeping these data. Furthermore, the usage of blockchain technology may aid in improving the accuracy of these records and making them more difficult to counterfeit.

Blockchain can be used to build an infrastructure network that is efficient, safe, and transparent in a smart city. Activities in a renewable energy system, for example, would be stored in blockchain because this data can contain anything from user data and passwords to operational details and physical weaknesses. Blockchain could keep bad actors from getting this data and gaining control of energy management. Extending this example to something as ordinary as rubbish pickup or as severe as a railroad bridge demonstrates the potential impact.

Blockchain applications in smart cities

Smart cities collect data on anything from traffic patterns to energy consumption using a variety of digital technologies. In general, there are four major tenets to developing one. Hardware includes anything from field sensors to wireless networks to mobile devices for monitoring and evaluating data.

Big Data: A significant amount of data acquired by hardware is kept in databases where it can be evaluated, frequently with the assistance of artificial intelligence. This study has the potential to discover patterns and trends that can be used to improve city planning and management.

Cloud networks: Big Data and conclusions must be stored somewhere that is accessible throughout the city, and physical servers are a limited answer. Keeping this data in a cloud network democratizes access while also making it visible to potential hackers.

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Applications: This is when the aforementioned tenets effect change in operations or behaviors, whether in the physical sense of maximizing energy or an app on a phone that offers real-time information on traffic congestion.
Blockchain technology allows for the creation of immutable records of transactions, contracts, and other data. This data can be saved on a decentralized network, making it available to anybody who uses it honestly. Given the potential data reach and security implications of a smart city teeming with linked citizens, smart automobiles, and passive sensing, blockchain appears to be important for industrial or civic cyber security.

The use of blockchain technology for city record keeping is still in its early stages, but a number of pilot projects are currently underway. South Burlington, Vermont, for example, has created a blockchain system to maintain property records. Austin, Texas, is also investigating the use of blockchain technology to improve homeless services. Reno, Nevada, is utilizing blockchain to safeguard its construction and permitting processes, a high need for the “largest small city in the world.”

Summary: Smart City

As more cities investigate the potential of blockchain technology, it is possible that this revolutionary technology will become more widely adopted. This has the potential to change the way cities keep track of their records and make it easier for residents to access them. As a result, city governments may become more transparent and accountable.

Blockchain technology is soon becoming a standard in many industries, including smart cities. Smart cities function by combining multiple sorts of data from various sources into a cohesive and usable whole. Cities may develop a more credible and transparent method for capturing information by incorporating blockchain into the process. This has the potential to have far-reaching consequences for everything from public safety to urban development.

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