While the smart city concept varies around the world, a smart city simply refers to any municipality that leverages data and technology to improve the lives of its inhabitants. In the age of connectivity, this technology refers to different software, user interfaces, and communication networks (specifically its relation to IoT), that work together to deliver connected solutions for the public.
The goals of smart cities vary, but they typically fall under the purview of improving or replacing outdated infrastructure, providing convenience, or creating better quality of life. (Check out our infographic here to learn more about “Smart City Services and Effects”).
This blog will look closer at smart city projects around the world that are leveraging data-driven technologies to make their surroundings more livable, sustainable, and economically viable and even culturally richer. Excluding Songdo’s smart city project, these projects have been nominated and awarded at the 2021 Smart City Expo World Congress.
1. Buenos Aires, Argentina
Solid Waste Management
First launched in 2012, the Integrated Municipal Solid Waste Management Plan has propelled Argentina’s capital to become one of the world’s most advanced cities for smart waste management. This smart city project has not only promoted waste reduction for its 15.3 million inhabitants but has also encouraged waste segregation, thus reducing the quantity of designated for landfills.
The combination of IoT-based devices like cameras, actuators, and sensors, can improve waste collection, sorting, transportation, and recycling processes. For example, a smart camera can identify types of waste being mechanically sorted on a conveyor belt and automatically send a signal to a connected actuator that diverts the belt carrying the waste to the correct category, such as plastics vs. metals. One of the project’s main aims is to develop circular economy models for each waste stream, which when enhanced by IoT can improve waste and resources management and slow down environmental degradation.
2. New York City, United States
NYC Internet Master Plan Project
A connected city breeds a smart city. For a smart city to thrive, the “digital” infrastructure first needs to be established. Thus, NYC has launched a $157 million dollar initiative to connect 1.6 million of the city’s residents to affordable, high-speed internet. In addition to its goal to end the digital divide, the plan aims to also provide people no-cost access at computer centers, in public spaces, and through wireless corridors.
In this way, NYC can claim higher quality social support programs to attract residents while building the underlying high-speed network cable infrastructure required for smart city IoT-based projects, such as conserving energy, improving air and water quality, and increasing recycling buy-in. Furthermore, there are the positive economic gains to consider. By 2045, the plan is predicted to have resulted in $142 billion in additional gross city product, $49 billion in personal income increases and 165,000 new jobs.
3. Wuhan, China
Pre & Post COVID-19 Pandemic Revitalization
During the outbreak of COVID-19, the world had its eyes on Wuhan, China. The government moved fast and instilled the use of smart city apps to contain the spread of the virus, and later these apps were applied in other parts of China following its success.
Through data acquired from IoT sensors and cameras, the app identified whether a person can enter public places (e.g. the wet markets) or public transportation based on previous contact with people who were identified as confirmed COVID-19 cases. The citywide application of big data intelligence has also helped prevent and control COVID-19 in a timely manner by tracking and monitoring citizens’ COVID status and movements across the entire country.
4. Barcelona, Spain
Smart Mobility Analytics for Port of Barcelona
The city of Barcelona is no stranger to the use of IoT and related technologies to enrich the lives of its citizens. In fact, it has already used smart sensors and big data analytics in various public services, including facilitating better parking and transportation, collecting trash, and improving air quality.
Port of Barcelona’s SMA (Smart Mobility Analytics) solution was awarded at the 2021 Smart City Expo World Congress as the “most innovative and successful project in the field of mobility.” It provides real-time data, aided by cameras and AI for predictive analytics, to city officials who manage the transport flows, and reduces traffic congestion. Better management of truck traffic at the container terminals has also led to lower CO2 emissions. Additionally, The Port of Barcelona is involved in a project to open all their collected maritime traffic data (ship movement, temperature, water conditions, etc.) for all stakeholders, including crews, shipping companies, and connected ports to reduce waiting times and help with planning shipments.
5. Sydney, Australia
Accessible Digital Archives and History
Interest in applying digital technologies in urban planning and heritage conservation is growing under a broader concept known as “smart heritage.” Sydney’s management of over 1 million archives and history resources is one example.
Smart tools have recently been used in heritage planning — for example, mobile applications in the integration management of asset preservation and sensors for acquisition and analysis of data from the collections in real time. These are some examples of the smart technologies used for planning the preservation of cultural heritage in the context of the smart cities. In this case, the city of Sydney converged 13 outdated systems into a single innovative user-centered digital solution. This has meant broader access across different digital devices and environments outside the traditional library and museum settings.
6. Doha, Qatar
Digital Marketplace for Public Services
The Ministry of Transport and Communications launched the TASMU platform in July 2021 to foster a digital environment by powering and linking all sectors, smart solutions, and digital services in Qatar. The five priority sectors for the platform are transportation, healthcare, logistics, environment, and sports.
The nationwide TASMU platform uses an open data ecosystem to streamline the development of smart solutions in Qatar by promoting communication between government entities, businesses, and individuals across these sectors.
This open data ecosystem enables open access to the platform’s large cloud storage and high-computing power, which come equipped with services such as payment gateways, data and video analytics, IoT, and machine learning (ML) and AI to help more quickly launch smart solutions to the market.
7. Songdo, South Korea
Smart City and Urban Planning Project
While we’ve highlighted smart city success stories thus far, Songdo’s story is more bleak. Nevertheless, it is an important representation of a smart city that did not go as planned. As one of the world’s first and few “built-from-scratch” smart cities, South Korea’s Songdo is a utopian dream by many urban planners who envisioned a smart, green, low-carbon city.
As one might expect for an advanced smart city, the goal of systems in the city is to collect data in an integrated platform to be analyzed by applications and services to provide its citizens with useful services. However, as Re!magining Cities Foundation’s CEO put it, their inability to open the data and prevent citizens and startups access to such data hurts everyone by inhibiting the growth of potential smart services that would otherwise make the lives of citizens better.
One solution to address secure data sharing is the use of edge computing nodes. These edge computing processes put additional encrypted barriers between a relatively simple network of sensors and the cloud, which means that managers can choose curated data access without risking denial-of-service attacks or other threats that can come from direct device connectivity. Hopefully, breaking down barriers in data sharing can prompt more businesses to launch their own IoT projects in Songdo. As a case study, Songdo has the potential to promote interesting applications of IoT improving the lives of its citizens but also reveals potential problems for cities who are looking to become “smarter.”
SDT works with businesses to launch their own solutions and services using the SDT’s edge devices and cloud solution. Check our resources page to learn more about how we’ve applied out expertise in different smart city projects.
About the Author: Karen is a passionate B2B technology blogger. While studying at Georgia Tech, Karen first grew interested in cybersecurity and has since worked for several security and cloud companies as a global marketer. When she’s not freelance writing, Karen loves to explore new food trends.
