Guest blog: AI and the City

Cities are beginning to harness technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), data collection and analysis e.g., the Internet of Things, advanced connectivity such as 5G and automation. Adopting these cutting-edge technologies will help to solve some of the significant challenges that are holding them back from growing and becoming more economically vibrant, as well as being great places to live.

Cambridge is an example of where this is already happening. A world-renowned city with a leading university that has driven its development as one of Europe’s leading tech and bio-tech hubs, Cambridge is an economic success story. The UK Government has recognised our area’s importance to the UK economy and recently released a report ‘The Case for Cambridge’ which looks at a growth scenario of 150,000 new homes to be built by 2050.

The challenge for today remains that Cambridge is a relatively small city with a constrained historic core and is already struggling with the growth that is occurring. Anyone who has driven in Cambridge at rush hour will know that congestion is a significant issue. There are also significant constraints on water infrastructure and the house prices and rents are high, pushing employees ever further away from the city. This is all set against the pressing need to decarbonise, to achieve net zero targets set out by central and local government, and to improve biodiversity and the natural environment.

More importantly technologies such as AI are delivering real benefits to communities, and this is set to grow as AI becomes more powerful. The GCP has started to harness AI in several ways.

To successfully deliver the amount of growth predicted for Cambridge will be complex. It requires an understanding of how multiple systems including water, power, transport, connectivity, social and economic, will need to come together to build thriving communities. Historically, these systems have been modelled in a siloed way with little understanding of the complex interrelationships between them. However, increasingly we need to consider them as a holistic system of systems. If we take smart grids for example, we will need to understand the relationship between vehicles, power networks and connectivity.

Digital twins are digital representations of the physical world utilising data and AI, and we are beginning to explore how they can help plan new communities as well as being used for operating infrastructure.

We are also using AI to better manage the road network in Cambridge. Over the last couple of years we have deployed sensors on a number traffic signals and crossings that give a much better view of who is waiting at a junction e.g., pedestrians, bikes, vehicles or buses. We can then use that data to better operate signals, to smooth traffic flows and to give a better experience to cyclists and pedestrians.

As vehicles become more connected, we are looking at how we can communicate with them to tell them what is going on in the city. For instance, when lights will turn green and/or when to make a transition on public transport, which is easier at Park & Ride sites.

An area where automation, AI and 5G connectivity are converging is self-driving vehicles. We have been working for several years with Stagecoach and technology providers to look at how automating vehicles can support the public transport system. Having run trials with two self-driving vehicles in the city in 2021, we are now looking at trialling four vehicles across two sites within Cambridge, linking Park & Rides with a university campus and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

Can automated buses extend the hours of operation, reduce costs making rural services economic or fill in gaps where traditional bus services don’t run? By trialling the technology, we hope to better understand the economic case, operational case and user experience to help comprehend the possibilities that automation offers in creating a better transport system.

AI has the potential to significantly improve the way we plan, build and operate our cities, we will increasingly see its use in optimising infrastructure and making the lives of our residents better but we must take care to innovate responsibly and to ensure that AI is deployed in an ethical and safe manner.

Dan Clarke is the Head of Innovation and Technology at The Greater Cambridge Partnership. For more information on how their work is changing the spaces we live, work and play in for the better, go to the Greater Cambridge Partnership website.