Smart city projects utilize information and communication technologies (ICT) to improve the efficiency of the city’s operations and the quality of government services offered to the citizens. Here’s how they do it successfully.

Features of a Smart City

The primary purpose of smart city projects is to maximize city functions and economic growth while improving the welfare of the citizens using smart technology and data analysis. 

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a web of connected devices capable of communicating and exchanging data. It includes anything from home appliances to vehicles and street sensors. 

Data obtained from these devices is stored in the cloud or on servers, so cities can use this information to improve productivity in the public and private sectors and provide economic benefits to better the lives of citizens. 

Combining automation, machine learning, and IoT allows cities to adapt these technologies to various uses.

• Smart traffic management: Smart traffic management can monitor traffic flow and optimize traffic lights, reducing traffic jams at critical intersections. Ride-sharing services are also manageable using smart city infrastructure.
• Energy saving: Energy saving and environmental effectiveness applications may include street lights that automatically dim when there is no activity. Such technology can improve many things, from operations, maintenance, and planning to power supplies.
• Smart waste control: Smart city inventiveness can also be applied in tackling climate change, air pollution, waste control, and sanitation through internet-enabled waste collection, bins, and fleet control systems.
• Smart buildings: Smart buildings can provide real-time space control or structural integrity and give feedback when repairs are needed. For example, sensors can monitor infrastructure issues such as leaking water pipes. Citizens can also use this system to inform government officials of problems like potholes. 
• Smart factory: Smart technology can improve manufacturing efficiency, energy use, urban farming, and more.

Policymakers and urban planners have been strengthening this smart technology to meet the citizens’ demands and provide better efficiency in delivering these services. 

London, UK

Different initiatives have been implemented in London, such as the London Development Database-LDD, a joint project controlling construction permits and their different phases in real time. Any citizen can access this information through the web. Other programs have reached out to a divergent population so that they learn skills linked to the handling of technologies, such as iPads or tablets. 

In addition, implementing smart electricity meters has commenced, using the power of data to produce more viable cities. Additionally, London stands out in terms of transport due to the introduction of Heathrow pods and driverless cars that link the city with the airport.

New York, USA

The LinkNYC was established to encourage more equitable access to smart technology, replacing phone booths with speedy, free Wi-Fi access points that you can use to know about city services.

Regarding traffic, New York City established the Midtown in Motion program to manage downtown rush hours. By utilizing sensors and data centers controlled by traffic engineers, the city has reduced commuting time by 10%. 

Smart processes have also been introduced into the water supply by generating a system that centralized home usage data, allowing consumers to monitor their reading in real time while settling their bills online. 

Paris, France

Paris is among the financial capitals of Europe and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. It has an ambitious development project, “2050 Paris Smart City,” focusing on integrating high-rise buildings with energy power to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 75%. 

Architect Vincent Callebaut presented a project to Paris City Council that illustrated how the city would look in 30 years after incorporating ecological buildings into the core to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Singapore, Singapore

Singapore is among the world’s most technologically advanced cities. It has the first Smart hospital where a section of the staff consisted of robots, and it strengthened the potential of big data in healthcare. Singapore also introduced the first driverless cab in 2019 as a pilot. 

They initiated Virtual Singapore as a Digital twin, a virtual model representing the city and receiving real-time updates that assist engineers in detecting trends and testing solutions for different obstacles.

Helsinki, Finland

Finland’s capital city, Helsinki, is one of the leading smart cities in the world. What makes it so unique is its approach to achieving this goal. Unlike most other smart cities, Helsinki’s smart city projects are all centralized in the Helsinki Smart Region.

This innovation hub is entirely focused on three main areas:

• Exploring viable climate-neutral solutions
• Building a vibrant, citizen-centric city
• Driving industrial technologies

Here are some innovative ways Helsinki is setting itself apart as a smart and sustainable city with its smart projects.

Digital inclusion: The Helsinki Smart Region project is designed to provide Finland’s citizens with access to the most crucial city data, including 3D models of the buildings in the city and even health statistics. This has enabled innovative minds to develop actionable solutions that make the lives of city dwellers easier.

For example, a GPS application was created using a map of every useful facility, journey planner, and public transport route in Helsinki. This GPS application actually helps the blind or visually impaired to safely and more easily navigate the streets of Helsinki.

Climate neutrality: Helsinki is dedicated to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. To do so, the city will have to employ many smart projects that call for overhauling much of the existing infrastructure. To achieve this, the Helsinki Smart Region employs a lot of 3D modeling. Kalasatama, the smart city district in Helsinki, uses 3D modeling to visualize how they can incorporate trees and plants into the entire metropolis.

Zurich, Switzerland

Zurich is yet another city with a host of smart city projects propelling it to the highest echelons of smart cities worldwide. Like many progressive smart cities, Zurich puts its citizens at the very center of the entire strategy. It strives to find a balance between development and sustainable ecosystems.

One of the biggest reasons Zurich is considered a smart city is its vast fiber optic networks and smart infrastructure that tech-savvy people run.

Besides that, the city has circular waste management, excellent digital security, high-level investment in education and healthcare, and a keen interest in efficiently using available energy. The education systems, in particular, go a long way in reducing the digital divide between its citizens (both urban and rural).

Copenhagen, Denmark

This city is the capital of Denmark, with a population of slightly above 600,000. It has set itself as an example of how implementing smart processes can lead to a livable and viable city. In 2017, the Copenhagen Solutions Lab was awarded for developing a system that manages air quality, energy usage, and waste control. 

In 2016, Copenhagen declared it would be the pioneer in executing a Big Data system controlling public and private information. The main focus is producing a zero-emissions city in the next few years, but this data will also be helpful in business innovation and efficient management.

Between 2015 and 2019, Copenhagen established an environment called EnergyLab in the Nordhavn neighborhood to show how electricity, heating, and viable transport can be integrated into an optimized system.  

Auckland, New Zealand

Auckland, New Zealand has made great use of innovation to help solve a number of complex problems for the entire city. Some of the most notable smart city projects in Auckland include:

• Smart Street Pilot: This uses big data to solve real-world problems especially in the city’s transportation sector. Thanks to the Smart Street Pilot, the city of Auckland has greatly improved operational effectiveness, resilience, efficiency and most importantly, safety in this sector.
• Auckland Hospital Digital Twin: This is an initiative designed to not only help troubleshoot but also track asset management quickly thus reducing cost.
• Scan & Go: Using various technologies, the Scan & Go app allows shoppers to easily scan, bag and even pay for their groceries from the safety of their smartphones, greatly reducing person-to-person contact.

Oslo, Norway

Oslo, the capital city of Norway is by far one of the smartest cities in the world. In fact, it was awarded the title “European Green capital in 2019” by the European Commission. There are quite a number of initiatives that set’s Oslo apart from the smart city crowd.

For starters, the city boasts over 650,000 LED lights. All of which are connected to specific processing stations allowing these lights to intelligently adjust their brightness depending on current usage and needs.

Oslo is also one of the few cities in the world to commit to having an all-electric vehicle pool by 2025. The city even has the “Oslo Toll Ring” initiative that offers a variety of incentives for vehicles with zero emissions.

For a city that has over 670,000 residents, these smart initiatives are no small undertaking.

Taipei City, Taiwan

Like most smart cities around the world, Taipei has a number of initiatives that are geared towards bringing all residents, both urban and rural, on-board. The Taipei City CooC-Cloud, in particular, is a digital learning platform that offers free courses in an effort to bridge the technical knowledge gap between urban and rural areas.

Taipei is also keen on providing Smart Public Housing capable of digitally visualizing how the residents consume water, electricity and gas in an effort to create more efficient usage and resource-saving behavior.

Are Smart Cities Viable?

Viability is a critical aspect of smart cities since they focus on improving urban areas and the welfare of citizens. Cities have several environmental advantages, such as tiny geographical footprints, but they also have adverse effects, including using fossil fuels to activate them.

The good news is that smart technologies can tackle these adverse effects, such as establishing an electric transport system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Electric cars can assist in regulating the grid frequency when not in use.

These viable transport options will also reduce the number of vehicles in urban areas since autonomous vehicles will reduce citizens’ need for car ownership.

Challenges Faced by Smart Cities

Despite the many benefits of smart cities, some challenges must be addressed, including governments permitting widespread participation by citizens. The public and private sectors also need to collaborate with citizens so that everyone contributes positively to the community.

Smart city projects must be transparent and accessible to citizens through mobile apps or an open data portal. The availability will allow citizens to interact with the data and carry out tasks such as paying bills and evaluating energy consumption at home.

Smart cities’ most significant challenge is connectivity due to the numerous IoT devices that must be connected and work simultaneously. This will allow services to be consolidated, and improvements will be made with increased demand.

Why the World Should Embrace Smart Cities

Smart city projects all seem to have almost the same objectives:

• Better, more efficient resource management
• Smart waste control
• Better service deliver
• Better, more environmentally friendly objectives

They tend to do this by building smarter buildings, smart waste bins, better traffic management and like Oslo, greener cars. Besides smart technology, smart cities must also factor in the social elements that offer a cultural fabric that attracts residents and gives them a sense of place. This is critical for cities being constructed from the ground up and needs new residents.

Smart cities apply different software and communication networks with IoT to provide connected solutions to citizens.

One of the common factors in most, if not all smart cities is that they pay close attention to public participation in the projects. Cities like Taipei and Copenhagen all have hubs where citizens can learn how to be a part of the smart city. 

The good news is that more cities are embracing smart connectivity, which means the major challenge will be financing these improvements because technology is not always cheap. Still, where there is collaboration, we can find a way.

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