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

Feb 2019

JuiceNet

A smart platform matching drivers’ historical charging patterns to manage charging station demand

Mobility

May 2021

Use case available

Hydromedia RoofTop Duo

A permeable concrete roof system with enhanced functionalities

Buildings & Constructions
Utilities (Water, Energy, Waste)

Jul 2020

Use case available

Optiwise®

Empowering renewable energy project developers through the assessment of decentralized energy resources and production systems

Utilities (Water, Energy, Waste)

Jan 2021

Elonroad

A high-tech electric road system for electric vehicles

Mobility
Buildings & Constructions

04. Implementations

Smart Cities Solutions Implementations

Hydromedia RoofTop Duo by Holcim implemented by Emmanuel d’Alzon’s School Complex in Saint-Medard-en-Jalles (France) in 2019

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

Ennobox by E-nno Switzerland SA implemented by Edmond de Rothschild in Many cities (Switzerland) in 2021

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

Sympheny by Urban Sympheny AG implemented by IBC Energie Wasser Chur in Dübendorf (Switzerland) in 2020

LUMI by Urbanhub implemented by Fashion Brand in Paris (France) in 2020

Shotl by Shotl implemented by City of Vallirana in Vallirana (Spain) in 2019

BrainBox AI by BrainBox AI Inc. implemented by Mountain Development Corp. in Roseland (United States) in 2021

Glowee by Glowee implemented by City of Rambouillet in Rambouillet (France) in 2022

Urban vegetation monitoring by KERMAP implemented by City of Fontenay-sous-Bois in Fontenay-sous-Bois (France) in 2020

Watèa by Michelin by Michelin implemented by Entreprise de livraison in Grenoble (France) in 2021

Helios Exchange by Helios Exchange, Inc. implemented by New York City in New York (United-States) in 2019

CityQ Car Ebike by CityQ implemented by Oslo, Norway, Wolt and Mobility Solutions in Oslo (Norway) in 2024

Eliq Utility Customer Engagement Platform by Eliq implemented by Schneider Electric in Rueil-Malmaison (France) in 2022

NEXT Modular Electric Vehicles by NExT implemented by Padua Municipality in Padua (Italy) in 2021

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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