WASHINGTON, DC, USA (CMC) — Montego Bay in St James is one of two Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries included in an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) guide of more than 50 examples of cities around the globe that have implemented intelligent solutions.

The other is Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas, included in cities of Latin America and the Caribbean dealing with accelerated and unplanned growth which has generated a series of challenges that can’t be fixed in a traditional way.

The IDB said that the current fiscal limitations of the region’s governments — especially at subnational levels — require more efficient systems that allow a reduction in public expenditure and increased fiscal income.

“Our cities should migrate towards a sustainable model of smart city,” the IDB said, describing a smart city as “one which puts people at the centre of development, incorporates information technology and communication in urban management, and uses these elements as tools to stimulate the creation of an efficient government that includes processes of collaborative planning and citizen participation.

“By promoting an integrated and sustainable development, cities will transform into innovative, competitive, attractive and competitive places,” said Mauricio Bouskela, IDB housing and urban development senior specialist.

The IDB said that since 2011, it has assisted cities in Latin America and the Caribbean with the development of intelligent management studies using the help of strategic alliances and firms such as Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, Moon Engineering (Korea), Cisco, Microsoft, Everis, and IDOM, amongst others.

“Today these studies have advanced in Guadalajara, Mexico and in various intermediate cities in the region that participate in the Emerging and Sustainable Cities Programme (ESC) like… (in) Brazil; Montego Bay (Jamaica); Barranquilla, Valledupar and Villavicencio (Colombia), Montevideo (Uruguay), Valdivia (Chile) and Nassau (Bahamas).”

It said that the main action areas of these projects are citizen security, mobility, emergencies and natural disasters management, connectivity, citizen participation, and integrated operation and control centres.

The IDB said that the guide has more than 50 examples of cities that have implemented intelligent solutions, and proposes a road map for those that want to adopt this model.

Among the case studies are the cities of Buenos Aires (Argentina), Bogota y Medellin (Colombia), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Chihuahua (Mexico) and Nassau (Bahamas).