Solutions for smart cities

How to shape the future of cities?

According to projections, nearly 70% of the world population will live in urban areas by 2050. While some megacities are already struggling to cope with the current inflow of people, we need to create smart cities in order to make these urban areas more liveable and truly sustainable. What is the definition of a smart city? What are the benefits and challenges? And finally, what are the smart solutions to urbanization?

01. Benefits

Benefits of Smart Cities

Smart cities and technologies have many practical and economic benefits:

Environmental impact: reducing the CO2 footprint is the main driver behind the development of smart and sustainable cities. Improving energy efficiency and storage, waste management, traffic conditions are among the greatest advantages.
Optimized energy & water management: smart grids and smart water management are recurring themes of smart cities. Energy consumption and potable water monitoring ensure the availability of energy and the quality of tap water across the city.
Transportation: clean and efficient transportation of goods, services and people is essential. In the hope of optimizing mobility, many cities are turning to smart technologies to ease traffic congestion and provide users with real-time updates.
Security: safety is a priority for all cities. The accelerated development of smart cities should allow municipalities to better monitor their citizens thanks to CCTV cameras with facial recognition. In addition, state-of-the-art CCTV cameras are also equipped with motion and smoke detectors, as well as fire alarms.

02. Definition

What is a smart city

A smart city is an urban development using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Internet of Things (IoT) to provide useful information to effectively manage resources and assets. This includes data collected from citizens and mechanical devices, that are processed and analyzed to monitor and manage traffic and transport systems, power plants, water supply networks, waste disposal, etc. Also called eco-city or sustainable city, the smart city aims to improve the quality of urban services or reduce its costs. It stands out for its specificities: smart management, lifestyle, mobility, housing, as well as a smart economy. Their main goal is to reconcile technological innovation with the economic, social and ecological challenges of the city of tomorrow. Their leitmotiv is the quality of life: how to live better together while respecting our environment.

03. Solutions

Smart Cities Solutions

Sep 2021

Cooling as a Service

A service that allows users to pay for cooling instead of purchasing entire systems

Buildings & Constructions
Utilities (Water, Energy, Waste)

Feb 2019

Sopratec III

Energy efficient building airtightness system

Buildings & Constructions

Aug 2019

Use case available

Energy Geostructures

A system to heat and cool urban districts using underground infrastructures

Buildings & Constructions
Utilities (Water, Energy, Waste)

Aug 2020

SOFTCAR

A car with an electric propulsion, safe, reliable and sustainable

Mobility

04. Implementations

Smart Cities Solutions Implementations

Energy Geostructures by GEOEG implemented by EPFL in Lausanne (Switzerland) in 2021

Energy Geostructures by GEOEG implemented by Insula SA in Prilly-Malley (Switzerland) in 2024

Optiwise® by Likewatt implemented by IDEE Energies in Courcy (France) in 2021

Go To-U by GO TO-U implemented by TNB (Tenaga Nasional Berhad) in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) in 2023

Go To-U by GO TO-U implemented by ABB in Zurich (Switzerland) in 2022

Go To-U by GO TO-U implemented by NYSERDA - The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority in New York (United States) in 2024

Go To-U by GO TO-U implemented by Uman Hub in Kyiv (Ukraine) in 2023

aREAL® by Immovativ GmbH implemented by City of Hanau in Hanau (Germany) in 2019

Urban Radar by Urban Radar implemented by City of Versailles in Versailles (France) in 2020

Smart Travel Habits by Nudgd implemented by City of Uppsala in Uppsala (Sweden) in 2022

Smart Travel Habits by Nudgd implemented by City of Gothenburg in Gothenburg (Sweden) in 2021

Smart Travel Habits by Nudgd implemented by City of Helsingborg in Helsingborg (Sweden) in 2020

Commuter Score and Commute Management Platform by Commutifi implemented by City of Boulder in Boulder (United States) in 2021

eDyn Dynamic Public Lighting by JDC Electronic S.A. implemented by Service des Energies Yverdon-les-Bains in Yverdon-les-Bains (Switzerland) in 2020

Urban Heat Vulnerability Map by ECOTEN urban comfort implemented by City of Vienna in Vienna (Austria) in 2019

Urban Heat Vulnerability Map by ECOTEN urban comfort implemented by International Portal of Prague in Prague (Czechia) in 2020

05. Challenges

Smart Cities Challenges

However, these benefits come with a series of risks:

Infrastructure and costs: smart cities use sensor technology to gather and analyse information such as rush hour stats, air quality or crime rates. The implementation of these sensors requires a sophisticated and costly infrastructure.
Security and privacy concerns: even though security is part of the benefits, it can also be regarded as a challenge as the use of IoT and sensor technology increases. In fact, the threat of cyber attacks is a critical issue for smart cities. Also, to avoid concerns about data use, smart cities need to involve their citizens. Awareness, education, and transparency on the purpose of data collection are crucial to make the community feel that they are truly taking part in making their city more sustainable.
Social risks: inclusive urbanization must be a priority to deal with the increasing vulnerability of poor and slum populations. That is why we need to ensure that no population is excluded from smart city data collection and use.

Connect with us

Any questions

Feel free to get in touch with us
pauline.michiels@solarimpulse.com

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