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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

PearlAqua Deca
Feb 2021

PearlAqua Deca

A uv-c led water disinfection platform designed for point-of-entry applications

  • Buildings & Constructions
  • Utilities (Water, Energy, Waste)
Optiwise®
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)
Smart BAM
Aug 2020

Smart BAM

An eco-friendly and connected mosquito control solution

  • Buildings & Constructions
Solar Powered Carport Mobility Hubs
Nov 2020

Solar Powered Carport Mobility Hubs

Solar powered e-mobility and grid-servicing solution

  • Mobility
  • Buildings & Constructions
View more

04. Implementations

Smart Cities Solutions Implementations

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

WasteHero Solution by WasteHero ApS implemented by City of Herning in Herning (Denmark) in 2018

ChargeGuru EV Charging Solution by ChargeGuru implemented by Hôtel bois d’Imbert in Rocamadour (France) in 2021

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

Smart Lock & Dock by Smart Lock & Dock Ltd implemented by City of St Antoni de Calonge in St Antoni de Calonge (Spain) in 2020

Livin’ platform by Siradel implemented by City of Niteroi in Niteroi (Brazil) in 2018

GeoCassini by E-Cassini implemented by Veolia in Paris (France) in 2020

Petrel Circular e-Commerce by Petrel implemented by Carrefour in Massy (France) in 2019

METRON Energy management by METRON implemented by SIBELGA in Brussels (Belgium) in 2009

GridEye by Depsys implemented by SED2 in Monthey (Switzerland) in 2016

Pavatex & Univercell by Soprema Group implemented by Le Toit Vosgien in Gerardmer (France) in 2016

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

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

Clean & sustainable cities by Cortexia implemented by City of Geneva in Geneva (Switzerland) in 2019

VUF Bikes by VUF Bikes implemented by Oleorecycling in Toulouse (France) in 2018

EnergyBox by Memoco implemented by Lolaliza in Bruxelles (Belgium) 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.

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pauline.michiels@solarimpulse.com