The smart city is a development project for territories that combines economy and ecology and that consists in offering a more pleasant life and new services to its citizens. New technologies play a fundamental role in the evolution of “classic” cities into “smart cities”. They are building smart infrastructure and systems through the Internet of Things (IoT), the various sensors used in cities and information and communication technologies.
Smart city technologies
The challenges of the smart city consist in setting up new systems or developing existing solutions through the use of new technologies. Indeed, smart city sensors should help solve :
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- ecological problems,
- resource conservation,
- the increasing movement of citizens in the territories,
- the construction of less energy-consuming buildings,
- etc.
To meet all these challenges, the city must have relevant data in real time to make the right decisions.
The installation of smart sensors is therefore essential to achieve optimal environmental control systems. For example, the analyzed and interpreted data allow for a more appropriate use of resources (electricity, temperature, etc.) in accordance with the uses. For waste management, IoT devices help optimize collection and rounds, as they measure how full the bins are.
A smart city must above all preserve the environment by investing in renewable energies, such as solar and wind power. Moreover, the Internet of Things really helps smart cities and individuals in their daily lives. A smart city innovation can go as far as using an IoT device to sort waste by characteristics or optimize building performance to the maximum.
Finally, life in the smart city offers real comfort to the inhabitants thanks to the presence of new technologies that greatly facilitate mobility. Public transport is more suitable and vehicle traffic is smoother thanks to the optimisation of flows.
Technological innovation for waste management, transport and many other uses
The aim of a smart city or intelligent city is to facilitate the movement of vehicles and inhabitants and to preserve the environment through sustainable urban development. Therefore, all territories are concerned by these changes, not only the city centre.
Mobility problems are an important issue for citizens. The development of a smart city must solve this problem by promoting the development of IoT technologies.
They are an appropriate and dynamic solution to reduce traffic and parking problems with:
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- less traffic jams;
- better managed traffic problems;
- update of available parking spaces;
- reducing travel time on public transport.