Mobile applications for cities

Abstract

A smartphone user today carries around in his or her pocket more computing power than all of NASA had when it sent a man to the moon in 1969 (Miller, 2012). These devices allow us to extend our sense of our surroundings in ways never before imaginable. With smartphone usage on the rise all around the world, there is room for new innovative mobile apps to improve how citizens and city officials go about their business. There are two areas in particular that have been identified as areas I am researching further. The first pertains to the best way for motorists to find parking in cities, and then pay for it and refill it once they have arrived. We are developing a mobile app that will hopefully streamline this process for drivers, while replacing costly infrastructure for cities and reducing enforcement costs, and minimizing the amount of wasted time, frustration, and carbon emissions that come from drivers searching for parking spots. The second applies to the growing amount of e---waste in the world, and the challenge of its proper disposal. By tagging trash with GPS sensors, we are able to better understand the process of its removal, discover where inefficiencies lie, and identify any improper handling along the removal chain.