Uk Construction Excellence Issue 3 2015

Page 95

People, on the other hand, living their lives are told that these technologies will result in a more cost efficient and richer lifestyle. So where is the balance between designing infrastructure to match the technologies that exist (or are imminent) compared to designing infrastructure that is how we wish to live our lives? It is only after this question is answered that we can stop the oft quoted requirement that “behavioural change” is required to meet our technology deployments…..does a Smart Meter fit into this category? The other interesting issue to confront the “Smart Infrastructure” debate is the fact that technology is often seen in a complete vacuum to the world that it will exist in, save for the “technical” aspects. Given that many of our challenges are with Market Structure, Procurement, Commercial Contracting and Environmental issues, not to mention Government legislation cycles, Standards cycles, regulatory cycles and many others that could be listed (you will note that social is usually well down the list, if mentioned at all!), dealing with the technical issue and then telling a story as to how this can deal with all the other issues seem to be rather cathartic! So what can be done? Is it all too difficult? Is the problem of whole system modelling unable to take account of these complex relationships and that just accepting product after

product and service after service as the only solution to our future. Will people be able to adapt to the technology solutions being proffered? But wait a minute, did we not want technology to help us live the lives we wanted to live not the other way around! The rejection of much of the behavioural change required by technologies such as Smart Metering, driverless cars, health regimes, living in hermetically sealed boxes, etc. are all symptomatic of using technology to drive people rather than people using technology to live their lives. Global Smart Transformation is working with likeminded partners and local authorities to design smart infrastructure to support cities and communities to live their lives and make the best use of the limited resources available to support their life choices. A Smart City or Community is not one with the ability to only cater for those that are technology literate or able to pay for the latest widget or live in the right post code and socio-economic class. A Smart City or Community understands that some citizens know the art of the possible, while others need to be supported in that discovery. It provides local decision support, not centralised or monopoly based organisations prioritising on their behalf. It caters for all ends of the social spectrum by Read more on page 96

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