GLOBAL CHALLENGES

How a SmarterTechnology.com Blogger Almost Ran His 'Town' into the Ground

Dennis McCafferty | Date: 10-18-10 | Comments

Many of us think we know how to run City Hall. But a new online-simulation game from IBM puts this notion to the test.

Table of Contents:

How a SmarterTechnology.com Blogger Almost Ran His 'Town' into the Ground
Like many people, I've always had lots of ideas about how to fix problems in my community. These include ways to cut down on energy usage, improve the retail-shopping experience and reduce traffic jams (umm, can we start with synchronized green lights?). But until I was "appointed" to run my own city, I never realized how complex such civic and commerce issues can be.

I had so much power that I was able to name my city, which I dubbed "Denville." My every decision impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of citizens there. As Mel Brooks once said, "It's good to be the king." Well, after actually commanding this level of authority, I'm inclined to leave such duties in the hands of the pros.

This conclusion comes after trying out CityOne, the new online game from IBM's Smarter Planet initiative. CityOne is billed as the world's first interactive simulation designed to help business and civic leaders solve real-world business, environmental and logistical problems. But anyone can "play" CityOne and, of course, learn something about municipal management in the process. Participants explore more than 100 real-world crisis scenarios to transform cities through technologies that reduce street congestion, save water, streamline supply chains and tap alternative energy sources.

Online here, the CityOne's general "board" screen shot looks like a fancier version of the familiar game Monopoly. And, like Monopoly, you start off with a limited amount of funds to run your energy, water, retail and banking services to citizens. The total amounts to $35,000 if translated to American dollars, and my city of Denville boasted a population of 777,205. So I figured I needed to be smart with my spending.

The online game CityOne lets players learn how to effectively run a city (source: IBM).

Next: Turning to Online Consultants >>