Polling station signs, mostly unused aside from the odd by-election, will come out again in a few weeks as voters in certain parts of the country go to the polls to elect metro or city mayors for the first time. 

The idea of devolving power is to not only to give locals more say in how decisions are made. There are also expectations that local politicians are best placed to make decisions that can drive local economic growth. Within this context, it's worth looking at the role that ‘smart' infrastructure can play in the UK's cities.