1) The City of Nanaimo appears to be planning and working toward being a “smart” city. The CAO gave a presentation regarding the infrastructure and economic benefits. Nothing about the dangers or risk associated with being connected to the Internet of Things.
(click on photos to enlarge)
Creating a Sustainable Smart Infrastructure Plan
A project completed as part of the Masters of Community Planning provides a strategy for mid-size cities, like Nanaimo, to become “smart”, using techniques previously used in major cities. But this strategy failed in Toronto’s Waterfront and Sidewalk Labs. Even in large cities, privacy and security are important. Would people in smaller cities be less concerned? I admit to not having read all of this. If anyone finds something truly significant in it, please share. This project might be used for planning in other communities.
The Mid-Sized/Aged City Approach to Smart Cities: A Proposal to Create a Smart City Strategy and Practice for Nanaimo, British Columbia
“Since 2013, many progressive cities in Canada are embracing Smart City to respond to the challenges of the evolving digital era, such as 2013 Digital Strategy in Vancouver, Smart Surrey Strategy in Surrey, 2016 Smart City Master Plan in St. Albert, 2017 Smart City Strategy in Edmonton and 2018 Open Data Master Plan in Toronto.
Furthermore, since 2017, the federal government in Canada is making efforts to lever the Smart City concept. In Oct 2017, Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister, exclaimed that Waterfront Toronto and Sidewalk labs had cooperated to build a Smart City in Quayside, Toronto’s eastern waterfront, reported by CTV News (Casey, 2017) and CBC News (McGillivray & McLaughlin, 2017)….
All Smart City approaches in Canada have been initiated in major metropolitan areas and large cities. However, Smart City principles apply equally well to mid and small cities, and also to areas with unique demographics such as the aged communities of Vancouver Island. This research investigates the application of a Smart City strategy on a mid-sized and aged community, and it is anticipated that this research will provide a framework and approach for other mid to small cities in Canada.”
https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/23593/ChenProjectMCP.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
2) A 5G “smart” city in Washington, DC, for both industry and government. Given the constant cyberattacks on US companies and governments, what could go wrong with this?
AT&T, JBG Smith disclose plans for at-scale 5G smart city
“Plans look to combine mmWave and sub-6 GHz capabilities thanks to interconnected infrastructure that includes building side-mounts, street furniture and underground network assets. It would cover the submarket across Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia.
“Together with JBG SMITH, we intend to build a true smart city from the ground up that will allow future innovators to use AT&T’s network to unlock new capabilities through city-wide edge solutions that can serve specific business locations and everyday users at home or on the go,” said Mo Katibeh, head of AT&T’s Network Infrastructure Build, in a statement. “This includes enabling immersive virtual and augmented reality and the massive IoT connections that will become a hallmark of National Landing as the most connected city in the country.”
https://www.fiercewireless.com/5g/at-t-jbg-smith-disclose-plans-for-at-scale-5g-smart-city
3) In addition to cell phones being associated with myriad health problems, they also are addictive, resulting in emotional problems, poorer interpersonal relationships, and more.
After the pandemic, let’s deal with our phone addictions. Here are three rules to follow
“We’re using mobile devices in unhealthy ways, but they’re so indispensable that we can’t just prohibit them. The real target is distraction.
A growing body of research affirms what we intuitively know: Phone use degrades the quality of our sleep, our productivity and our creativity. It is linked to heightened levels of anxiety and depression, diminished sexual satisfaction, compromised child-parent relationships and so much more. But — as climate activists know — even the most alarming studies won’t shift behaviour at scale. For that to happen, culture itself needs to change. We need to update our shared beliefs, attitudes and behaviours to define more clearly where, when, how and why to use our phones. We need a new set of norms….
In a study affirming this dynamic, Oxford Internet Institute researchers prompted pairs of people with conversation topics, and divided them into two. For the first group, researchers left a phone resting, face-down, on a nearby desk. For the second group, the phone was absent. After their conversations, pairs in the “phone present” group reported far lower levels of empathy and trust than those in the “phone absent” group. The researchers concluded that the “mere presence of mobile phones inhibited the development of interpersonal closeness and trust.”“
Letters:
From: “Naomi Singh & Paula Johansson” (names given with permission)
Sent: Sunday, July 25, 2021 3:51:46 PM
Subject: Please Attend Rogers Tower Vote – This Tuesday @12:30 pm
Hi Everyone,
The Rogers Tower is on the agenda for this Tuesday’s virtual SSI Trust meeting.
(And it is not too late to send a quick note opposing the tower to: ssiinfo@islandstrust.bc.ca)
The more of us who are able to attend and comment on Tuesday the better. Our goal is for the LTC to say no to Rogers and to find a better solution for CREST.
. Make a 2 minute comment at the Town Hall at 12:30 pm. Find ideas for comments here: https://towersmatter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Town-Hall-Comments-for-May-25-Trust-Meeting.pdf
. The Tower will be discussed and voted on at 1:00 pm.
How To Attend
To join Electronically: click here.
To Call into the meeting: Canada: 855 703 8985 (Toll Free) / US: 888 475 4499 (Toll Free)
Webinar ID: 617 3160 0245
Watch Live Stream in real time: https://collaboratevideo.net/MaxPlayer/default.aspx?cid=islandstrust&pid=A&ln=en&au=fl&bw=720p&webcastID=islandstrustA
With Love,
The Team from 5G Free Salt Spring
Sharon Noble, Director, Coalition to Stop Smart Meters
“Well begun in half done.” Aristotle