Page 14 - Are You Future Ready?

Preface 3

‘Are you Future Ready?’ The question could be asked
of any technology domain, but author Winnie Tang asks

specifically in the context of spatial data technologies and
their application to cities. In this context, it is a loaded
question, in the sense addressed by the last section of the
012
book when juxtaposed with the previous three sections.

The ‘science and technology of where’ requires no less
sophistication than other technologies but is peculiarly
relatable. Everyone loves and can understand maps. But

the digital technology underlying smart city tech is not
quite the same as the digital technology that revolutionised
cartography and GIS in the 1980s. The internet of

things combined with advances in sensing technology,
high resolution urban big data, AI and ultra-high speed
processing, means that the technological future that is
arriving is truly novel. In particular, it is novel in its ability
to detect and predict patterns and model alternative