13.3.4.12 Smart Payment Technologies
Smart payment technologies may make cities more competitive by enhancing
livability and cost-efficiency (Peeples 2016). Smart payment solutions like the
Visa Global Transit Solutions, “. . .a worldwide programme to foster seamless
commuting through contactless payments” (Wang 2017), are applied in numerous
projects in various cities including Bogota, London, Mexico City, and Singapore
(Wang 2017). Contactless payment reduces the need for paper tickets, smart cards,
and related costs like ticket selling points and required staff, improves the commuting experience by simplifying the payment process, reduces waiting times at ticket
machines, mitigates congestion, and even can help countries to reduce expenses
related with counterfeit notes (Wang 2017). Meanwhile, Visa and MasterCard
“. . .entered into Indian mobile payments market by rolling out QR code-based
mobile money services to leverage the Indian government’s demonetisation policy”
(Wang 2017). They collaborate with Stripe, Facebook, and Uber in the USA to
deliver funds in real time (Wang 2017). MasterCard supports fintech start-ups
including Monzo, Revolut, and N26 to develop mobile banking services (Wang
2017).
13.4 Critical View on Smart Cities: How Sustainable
and Democratic Are They?
The digitization of the urban is driven by business, government and commercial actors as
well as civil society. Some find it too slow, others too fast. . .In addition to numerous
opportunities, there are also considerable risks associated with digitization. Communities
face many challenges and their resources are always limited. Digitalization promises . . .
efficiency gains . . . It is important to know your own goals, especially in times of social
upheaval. . .Neither the convenience of citizens nor the return of companies in the digital
business should be the top priority. (Lobeck 2017)
This quote summarizes the problems of Smart City projects quite well. While
Smart Cities are promoted as clean and safe places due to the general chances they
provide (see Sects. 13.1-13.3), they bring about many risks, challenges, and disadvantages which are often ignored or downplayed due to the widespread Smart City
hype – apparently stirred up by those who benefit from promoting or implementing
Smart Cities (see Sect. 13.3.2). Thus, this section is focused on the risks and
disadvantages of Smart Cities and their impact on the ecological, social, and
economic pillars of SD in general and on relevant SDGs in particular.
The accumulation of electrical and electronic devices in Smart Cities brings about
large amounts of “electrosmog,” i.e., “...the entirety of electrical, magnetic and
electromagnetic fields...which are thought to have biological effects...” (Educalingo
2018). Renowned biophysicists reveal that man-made technology creating magnetic,
electrical, and electromagnetic transmitters fundamentally changes the natural electromagnetic energies and forces on the earth’s surface, “...radically changing
million-year-old pivotal controlling factors in biological evolution...” (Warnke
13 The Role of Smart Cities for the Realization of. . .
229
Smart payment technologies may make cities more competitive by enhancing
livability and cost-efficiency (Peeples 2016). Smart payment solutions like the
Visa Global Transit Solutions, “. . .a worldwide programme to foster seamless
commuting through contactless payments” (Wang 2017), are applied in numerous
projects in various cities including Bogota, London, Mexico City, and Singapore
(Wang 2017). Contactless payment reduces the need for paper tickets, smart cards,
and related costs like ticket selling points and required staff, improves the commuting experience by simplifying the payment process, reduces waiting times at ticket
machines, mitigates congestion, and even can help countries to reduce expenses
related with counterfeit notes (Wang 2017). Meanwhile, Visa and MasterCard
“. . .entered into Indian mobile payments market by rolling out QR code-based
mobile money services to leverage the Indian government’s demonetisation policy”
(Wang 2017). They collaborate with Stripe, Facebook, and Uber in the USA to
deliver funds in real time (Wang 2017). MasterCard supports fintech start-ups
including Monzo, Revolut, and N26 to develop mobile banking services (Wang
2017).
13.4 Critical View on Smart Cities: How Sustainable
and Democratic Are They?
The digitization of the urban is driven by business, government and commercial actors as
well as civil society. Some find it too slow, others too fast. . .In addition to numerous
opportunities, there are also considerable risks associated with digitization. Communities
face many challenges and their resources are always limited. Digitalization promises . . .
efficiency gains . . . It is important to know your own goals, especially in times of social
upheaval. . .Neither the convenience of citizens nor the return of companies in the digital
business should be the top priority. (Lobeck 2017)
This quote summarizes the problems of Smart City projects quite well. While
Smart Cities are promoted as clean and safe places due to the general chances they
provide (see Sects. 13.1-13.3), they bring about many risks, challenges, and disadvantages which are often ignored or downplayed due to the widespread Smart City
hype – apparently stirred up by those who benefit from promoting or implementing
Smart Cities (see Sect. 13.3.2). Thus, this section is focused on the risks and
disadvantages of Smart Cities and their impact on the ecological, social, and
economic pillars of SD in general and on relevant SDGs in particular.
The accumulation of electrical and electronic devices in Smart Cities brings about
large amounts of “electrosmog,” i.e., “...the entirety of electrical, magnetic and
electromagnetic fields...which are thought to have biological effects...” (Educalingo
2018). Renowned biophysicists reveal that man-made technology creating magnetic,
electrical, and electromagnetic transmitters fundamentally changes the natural electromagnetic energies and forces on the earth’s surface, “...radically changing
million-year-old pivotal controlling factors in biological evolution...” (Warnke
13 The Role of Smart Cities for the Realization of. . .
229