Technologies that improve an urban community are the subject of this collection of papers. Most of the technologies are information/computing centered. Many are based in Austin, Texas. The book’s fundamental assertion is that a successful smart city project balances economic, environmental, and social values.

The first example is a proposed urban mobility system built around smart stations and a mobility marketplace connecting customers to the best solution. The author admonishes, “Do not forget … the data market”: cost recovery through selling the data. A second paper takes the reader through the steps in securing funding for an urban project. Large projects will nearly always need more than one funding source. The design of a smart city project needs systems thinking, especially because many of the components will have to evolve to fit system needs. The role of the customer using the smart (electric) grid is no longer a passive user, but that of a participant who manages her part of the grid, deciding what to produce and what to consume. The pertinent paper reviews grid architecture clearly. Two difficult aspects of designing an Internet of Things system are the radio technology and battery life. Smart city projects will be generally based in the cloud because of the data intensity and the relative ease in expanding services.

Another paper, helpful to someone implementing a smart city project, describes how the city of Austin created an electric vehicle support project including deployment of charging stations and a marketing campaign. System design of intelligent transportation systems addresses traffic density, the high time and cost of trips, carbon dioxide emissions, and expanding supply chains. Electronic systems account for more than 30 percent of the cost of automobiles now and are expected to account for a larger portion as we move to autonomous cars. The electronics are used for internal vehicle control, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.

Reconfigurable systems should reduce cost and improve reliability. The performance of a building’s electrical system is improved if voltage sensors are employed near major loads, which transmit to voltage regulators. The paper explains the technology and the economics in some depth and then describes two examples of use. Illumination, especially street lighting, is in the midst of a revolution caused by a great increase in light flux from an LED and the possibilities afforded by digital control. New art forms are expected and ways of reducing the attraction for birds have already been designed. In Austin, about 12 percent of the water supplied by the utility is lost through leaking pipes. Electronic sensors and a smart network could find these leaks and reduce the need for new supplies as the city grows. Technological ways of monitoring other conditions of structures are also important. Are reinforcing rods corroding? Are the vibrations in a cable-stay bridge excessive? The pertinent paper describes sensors and also the entire asset management system.

The papers range from technical to inspirational. All seem accessible to a planner and, certainly, to an information/computing professional. A general reader would learn much. It seems apparent that smart cities will be getting much attention, and this book should be an effective vehicle to acquire background information. It is highly recommended, especially to a specialist in one aspect of urban design wanting to gain an overview.