June 2026 saw Singapore hosting the tenth edition of the World Cities Summit (WCS), where leaders from government, industry and academia engaged in dialogue on how cities can move beyond ideation to delivering practical, implementable solutions in tackling everyday urban issues.

Digital and technological solutions were a constant theme across the sessions, from the Opening Plenary to the Smart Cities track. Even as smart cities look to technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data and internet of things (IoT) to solve thorny issues, it was clear that focusing on digital tools alone rarely presents the full picture.

Using People as ‘Sensors’

Mention urban maps and automated digital infrastructure typically comes to mind – think surveillance cameras, autonomous mapping vehicles and satellites that gather and update data with minimal human intervention. However, conventional technologies are struggling to capture the complexity of densely populated Southeast Asian cities, with crowded streets lined with stalls, unlabelled side paths and fast-changing traffic conditions.

Since 2017, Grab has been mapping Southeast Asian cities through its human mapping initiatives, building a ‘hyperlocal edge’ in cities such as Jakarta, Hanoi and Bangkok. It taps into its network of driver-partners, using lightweight cameras mounted on helmets, windshields, handlebars and backpacks to capture street footage, traffic conditions, landmarks and other local details. In its collaboration with Development Data Partnership, announced on 17 June 2025, Grab also committed to using this data for public good, supporting projects that tackle urban challenges and shape more liveable cities for the future.

Closer to home, the ground-up initiative SmartBFA (Smart Mobility and Accessibility for Barrier-Free Access) in Singapore initially relied on IoT devices mounted on volunteers’ wheelchairs to collect data on barrier-free routes for wheelchair users. The programme subsequently received a boost with the launch of the SmartBFA Advanced Data Collection App, which allows volunteers to collect path accessibility and obstacle data and contribute directly to the SmartBFA database by logging routes and obstacles with pictures and annotations.

In both cases, building smart cities goes beyond deploying better technology. It is human-powered local knowledge that conventional maps and smart-city systems often struggle to capture, particularly in narrow alleys, informal routes, and constantly changing traffic conditions. The most resilient cities therefore invest not only in digital infrastructure, but also in community participation and social capital.

Using Relationships as ‘Solutions’

Such models provide a more scaled-up version of how technology has been widely leveraged in eldercare to offer home monitoring and track abnormalities. Their implementation depends on a human element: how they are delivered.

In eldercare at the grassroots level, the personal touch remains essential to filling caregiving gaps, from bathing and housework to emotional support and human connection. The legwork of knocking on doors, hearing seniors’ concerns and connecting them with resources remains the most effective way to check on seniors at risk, with about 4,000 Silver Generation Ambassadors sometimes making up to six visits a week.

Similarly, the government’s strategy to combat recurrent dengue cases has combined sophisticated technological interventions with simple, community-led measures. In addition to techno- and infrastructure-centric interventions such as geo-referenced surveillance and fogging, the Singapore government depends heavily on public education campaigns such as the “5-Step Mozzie Wipeout” to encourage residents to keep private domestic spaces dengue-free by reducing instances of stagnant water and applying repellent.

These use-cases demonstrate how social coordination, or simple ‘human’ solutions, can fill the gaps that technological solutions cannot address.

People as the Raison d'Être

Perhaps more importantly, we must not forget that technological solutions can sometimes create new problems in their wake. The proliferation of platformisation in smart cities means people can get through their day without interacting with a single person – whether having a meal or doing grocery shopping. While this offers convenience and reduces ‘friction’ such as small talk, it can also erode our sense of community and social well-being.

These examples show how easy it is to lose sight of what smart and effective technological solutions are supposed to achieve. Whether it is befrienders checking on lonely seniors or members of the public conscientiously mapping their daily commute for wheelchair users they may never meet, these efforts show that the future of smart cities should not be a choice between technology and people.

Rather, it is about leveraging human knowledge and participation to inform the use of technology and create inclusive, safe, and human-centric cities.