Almost 70% of the UK public (68%) do not know what a smart city is or the benefits it can bring, according to new research. When broken down regionally, Londoners came in slightly below the national average, with 61% claiming to not know what a smart city is.

Despite widespread global investment in the digital transformation of public spaces and the smart city concept, a study of 1,000 people, conducted by ATG Access, found that consumer awareness in the UK is low because of a lack of information available. And this could be having an impact on mass adoption in the UK.

The research found that over a quarter (26%) of people find the prospect of smart cities “worrying” due to a lack of available information on the topic.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is the digitally-native 18-24 age bracket which harbour the least amount of worry in this regard, with just over a third (35%) expressing trepidation, compared to 52% in the 45-54 age bracket.

Almost a quarter (24%) of Brits expressed scepticism around the benefits smarter cities would provide, demonstrating a need for greater access to reliable educational resources around the topic, which clearly explain how smarter cities can save people time, money and provide peace of mind.

Ultimately, education into smart technology has to start at home. A lot of households already benefit from smart technology, with home automation systems like Crestron growing in popularity. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering ‘Who can install a Crestron Home Automation System?‘ head to customcontrols.co.uk and begin your home automation overhaul today.

The research was conducted as part of ATG’s ‘Smart cities: Turning the dream into a reality’ report, which outlines the urbanisation problems that could be solved through the adoption of specific smart city concepts, such as traffic, crime and emergency incident response. It explores consumer attitudes and perceptions towards smart cities, and ways to overcome current barriers to adoption in the UK.