Tianjin Binhai at the vanguard of smart city

A giant screen at the Intelligent Binhai Operation and Management Center displays data related to administrative services in the Binhai New Area, north of Tianjin, July 30, 2019. [Photo by Zhang Wenfang/chinadaily.com.cn]

Through a giant screen displaying real-time data about various aspects of urban management and public services, people can really sense that the Binhai New Area, north of Tianjin municipality, is rising as an excellent example of smart city in China.

The monitor is part of an intelligent operation center newly opened in June in the area, which covers 2,270 square kilometers, 300 million residents and innumerable companies.

To provide better service and manage the area in a smarter way, the Intelligent Binhai Operation and Management Center has applied "1+4+N" solutions, which refer to one "city brain" to collect and analyze big data, four major platforms to offer services of different kinds and online applications used to deliver the services.

Powered by internet of things and big data, the center has integrated comprehensive urban management, emergency response, public and business services, data analysis and application and many other functions.

The residents, enterprises and city administrators have been the direct beneficiaries of the intellectualization.

A giant screen at the Intelligent Binhai Operation and Management Center displays the intelligent solutions applied in the Binhai New Area, north of Tianjin, July 11, 2019. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"If you have any trouble in life, for example, a water-logged road, you could report it to the intelligent operation center either through hotline call or taking a picture and uploading it onto our platform. Within 15 minutes, your request will be addressed," said Zhao Lianlan, the person in charge of the platform to provide convenient services to residents.

"We have divided the whole area into 743 grids, and assigned a trained staff member to each grid to check the reported cases and coordinate and oversight the resolution. The synergy of the platform and the grid network could greatly save the trouble of residents," Zhao added.

As for the business sector, time has been shortened to complete commercial registration and acquire project approval with the help of the smart city center, which simplifies and electronizes the process.

According to the center, it takes just four hours, the shortest time, to get business registration. The applicant doesn't even need to have a face-to-face meeting.

In addition, mass data involving the area's macro-economic situations presented at the center such as investment volume, industry development and capital flow makes it easier for city administrators to keep abreast of the economic operations, avoid hidden risks and make proper policies.

To date, 38 intelligent systems have been connected to or developed at the operation center ranging from administrative services, law enforcement, risk warning, sanitation, environment, transportation to medical services and there will be more in the future to explore new ways to achieve smart city and constantly improve the area's level of intellectualization.