Big Data, Smart Cities, Simulations and the Future

I read an interesting piece in the Sunday NY Times a few weeks ago called “SimCity for Real” Measuring an Untidy Metropolis.” It talked about a “smart city” initiative at NYU seeking to use sensing, computing, and data-sifting technology to improve efficiency and quality of life in urban areas. Big players are partnering in the initiative, such as IBM, Cisco, and Xerox, as well as universities and the city of New York. The project leader says he wants to “create a SimCity for real.”

As futurists, we try to pay special attention when trends and developments from separate or unrelated places, sectors, or groups come together and suggest a common theme. Maybe that’s why this story caught my attention – surely, it’s not the first “smart city” article I’ve seen. So, maybe the connection comes from:

Nary a day goes by that there isn’t a story about “Big Data” (see this Google Trends graph) and it’s been part of some of my recent project work
The Houston Futures program chose “City Making” as theme for its Houston Futures Gathering on April 12 and 13.
A month later, (May 2-4) the Association of Professional Futurists (APF) is hosting a gathering on simulations called PLAY: Games, Simulations and The Future.

Hmm, perhaps something is brewing here? Andy Hines

About Andy Hines

Dr. Andy Hines is Program Coordinator at the University of Houston’s Graduate Program in Foresight, bringing together the experience he earned as an organizational, consulting, and academic futurist. He is also speaking, workshopping, and consulting through his firm Hinesight.

Before that, he was Managing Director of Social Technologies/Innovaro, and served as an Adjunct Professor with the university since 2004. Hines enjoyed earlier careers as a consulting and organizational futurist. He was a partner with Coates & Jarratt, Inc., a think tank and consulting firm that specialized in the study of the future. He was also Futurist & Senior Ideation Leader at Dow Chemical with a mission of using futures tools and knowledge to turn ideas into new business opportunities. Before that, Hines established and ran the Global Trends Program for the Kellogg Company.

Hines is motivated by a professional hunger to make foresight practical and useful, and he believes that foresight can help deliver the insight that is so needed in today’s organizations and the world. His goal, he says, is to infect as many change agents as possible with this message. Thus, he has honed a skill set designed to make foresight more actionable in organizations.

In this pursuit, he has authored five books: Teaching about the Future: The Basics of Foresight Education (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012); ConsumerShift: How Changing Values Are Reshaping the Consumer Landscape (No Limits Publishing, 2011); Thinking About the Future: Guidelines for Strategic Foresight (Social Technologies, 2007); 2025: Science and Technology Reshapes US and Global Society (Oak Hill, 1997); and Managing Your Future as an Association (ASAE, 1994) and has another in the hands of publishers: Teaching about the Future: The Basics of Foresight Education. He has also authored dozens of articles, speeches, and workshops, including the 2003 Emerald Literati Awards’ Outstanding Paper accolade for best article published in Foresight for “An Audit for Organizational Futurists” and the 2008 award for “Scenarios: The State of the Art.” He has appeared on several radio and television programs, PBS Houston, KRIV-26 News, and the CBS “Early Show.” He also co-founded and is former Chair of the Association of Professional Futurists.

About Andy Hines

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply