Internet of Things

    When we think of smart cities often our minds can wander to environments such as Blade Runner or even Ready Player One. While those high-tech cities may be fictional, smart cities around the world have already begun to emerge. By 2050 it is estimated that 70% of Earth's population will live in a smart city. In these cities, data is collected in areas of transportation, public safety, education, infrastructure, etc. For example, in city power plants, this technology can detect if a chemical leak is going into rivers.
    In the City of Chico's case, I believe smart city technology could improve living situations. I am aware that in particular, Chico has crime issues, so surveillance technology could help improve this. Having a more advanced system of cameras throughout the city it could help ease crime and find suspects easier with facial recognition. This may be a problem for some individuals however due to the "Big Brother" essence of recording everything citizens are doing. Smart city technology could also transform Chico by appealing to more people to move here which will drive the economy.