The development of the smart city or intelligent city can only be achieved with new technologies. They allow the smart city to improve the daily life of citizens, while preserving the environment. Capturing a multitude of data, they allow smart cities to measure and interpret information for optimized management of the urban territory and energy resources.
Is the smart city greener and more sustainable?
The challenges of the transformation of a smart city are to improve the quality of life of its inhabitants. To do so, it must integrate renewable energy sources and opt for innovation. The installation of smart grids to optimize natural resources or waste sorting is also essential.
Thinking about the creation of a smart city means thinking first and foremost about sustainable development, such as the use of energy from biomass, solar installations, hydrogen, etc. Indeed, the mention of the smart city means that the energy transition must be carried out throughout the city’s territory.
It also concerns:
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- transport in terms of traffic flow and mobility ;
- construction of more energy-efficient buildings;
- installation of smart grids to adjust the flow of electricity between suppliers and consumers.
Citizens can also live in a greener urban environment, with more vegetation, urban forests and more natural spaces. The presence of nature and the protection of biodiversity therefore have beneficial effects on the living environment.
Smart cities aim to:
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- fight global warming in the long term,
- improve air quality,
- preserve the balance of ecosystems
- achieve real energy savings.
Is the smart city a viable solution to protect the environment?
With new technologies and innovation, smart city actors are truly acting on the environment. Indeed, the fundamental principle of smart cities is to put forward sustainable development and to emphasize the place of nature in the city. The challenge is also to put people at the heart of the development of the city of the future.
It is now possible to solve the problem of mobility for inhabitants with a greener transport offer: “smart mobility”. Smart cities are opting to install efficient equipment, such as buildings that emit less CO2. They favour smart management systems to collect and sort waste in order to offer residents a more pleasant city to live in.
Finally, the smart city concept allows us to build a green economy, while providing solutions adapted to the needs of citizens and to today’s societal problems.