Real-world cities are making a move to become smart, but what cities are considered the smartest out there right now?
1. Hong Kong
Hong Kong has been making smart developments for some years now. In 2017, the city released a blueprint that would be used to make the city smarter and smarter gradually. This blueprint included 76 different initiatives, including “Smart Mobility,” “Smart Living,” “Smart Environment,” “Smart People,” “Smart Government,” and “Smart Economy.” These initiatives aim to create a more sustainable, well-connected city that’s generally more pleasant to live in.
A particularly technologically focused element of this blueprint is the “Smart Living” initiative, which involves providing free Wi-Fi for the public in all areas and promoting digital payment methods, such as via one’s smartphone using NFC. On top of this, improved healthcare and support for elderly and disabled individuals is also an aim.
Along with this comes the “Smart Mobility” initiative, which focuses on an “intelligent” transport system that incorporates an all-in-one app named “HKeMobility.” This app can be used to find walking paths in all areas of the city. Additionally, this initiative involves the installation of 1,200 traffic detectors that provide real-time, 24/7 traffic information. All in all, it’s looking like this city will become hyper-efficient in the next decade or so.
2. Oslo
The Norweigan capital Oslo isn’t considered a major city globally, like New York or Hong Kong, but is still developing its smart capabilities. One of the main goals here is to improve the lives of civilians by making the city more sustainable and interconnected.
A key technology being used to achieve this goal is the Internet of Things (IoT). This involves devices or other objects equipped with software, sensors, and other technological features, that form a network with other devices to communicate (usually via an internet connection). This technology is a popular choice in smart cities and is being used in Oslo to manage key areas of the city, such as waste management, urban mobility, and water management.
There are also other areas being developed upon in Oslo. For example, electric buses, industry development, and zero-emission construction sites are being focused on, too.
3. London
England’s capital city of London is the busiest in all of the U.K., so it’s no surprise that it’s becoming smarter. There are several projects associated with this stride towards smart, including Talk London, an online community that allows Londoners to have their say on various city-related plans and policies.
Additionally, the Connected London project aims to improve digital connectivity across the city. Part of this project involves working on the Connected London Full Fibre Network, which is designed to provide 400km of interconnected underground tunnels, 500km of roads, and 80,000 pieces of street furniture.
What’s more, the city’s Connectivity Map can now be used to see which areas of London provide the best and worst broadband coverage. A continued focus on sustainable energy, low carbon accelerators, and electric vehicle implementation also takes the city further towards a smart future.
4. Dubai
Dubai’s incredibly fast development over the past few decades has been nothing short of astounding. Now, the city is being taken into the smart age. Some smart services have already been launched, including the Smart Nol card, enabling civilians to use public transport via NFC payment.
The city has also launched the DubaiNow app, which allows civilians to pay for public services, including healthcare, education, residency, and transport. Dubai’s smart car rental service has also been implemented, allowing individuals to rent private vehicles using two different smartphone apps: Udrive and Ekar.
Another big project launched by Dubai is its Autonomous Transportation Strategy. This involves making 25% of the city’s transport automated by the year 2030. One can only wonder what that’ll look like!
5. Amsterdam
Amsterdam is known for its rich history and culture, and now it’s becoming known for its smart capabilities. This involves open-source city data, which anyone can access at any time and add relevant data when desired. This transparent system is great for keeping civilians informed and aware of the city’s ins and outs.
What’s more, Amsterdam, and the Netherlands as a whole, has the fastest internet speeds in all of the European Union. This makes for super quick connectivity and helps with certain areas of Amsterdam’s Smart City Initiative, or ASC. The ASC began in 2009 and includes a long list of different projects focused on improving the city overall, including cleaning rivers, managing the road network, and making life better for residents.
This improved quality of life will hopefully be provided by the city’s Wyzer app. The app lets civilians explore the city’s more unconventional paths while also discovering the “hidden gems” highlighted by the app. The introduction of Amsterdam’s Social Glass project also allows for real-time urban data analytics and forecasts to be collected, which provide key insights into the attitudes and circumstances of the public. Pretty insightful stuff!
6. Barcelona
The vibrant Spanish city of Barcelona is known for incredible food and even more incredible views. But who would’ve thought this historical city would be making smart innovations? Well, get ready to see Barcelona in a far more modern light. It was, in fact, the first-ever European city to implement smart technologies.
Barcelona, like Oslo, is making use of the IoT to make technological developments, particularly in the area of waste management. For example, IoT is being implemented into city trash cans, which can notify the relevant party of how much trash has been dispensed at any given moment. Other installations like smart streetlights, early warning systems for natural disasters, and smart parcel lockers will also be introduced to the city on a wide scale.
Other environmentally-focused technology will also be implemented around the city, including air quality monitors, car-sharing services, and home energy consumption tracking systems. There’ll even be behavior-based water consumption tracking. Pretty futuristic stuff.
7. New York
Yes, as you might expect, one of the world’s most well-known cities is making steps towards smart innovation. The integration of smart lighting, smart water meters, and smart waste management is fast making this city among the smartest out there. For example, a smart trash can called BigBelly is equipped with a trash compactor and wireless sensor that keeps track of how much trash is disposed of per can.
On top of this, the city is focusing on air-quality monitoring, given the issues with air pollution it currently faces. Other environmental initiatives have also been founded, including the Clean Neighborhoods Challenge and renewable energy projects that will allow the city to run off more eco-friendly fuels.
Singapore: An Honorable Mention
Though Singapore isn’t technically a city, it is one of the most technologically advanced locations in the world. Its Smart Mobility 2020 Initiative focuses on developing an intelligent transport system. This is being paired with the Travel Smart Programme, which is aimed at more efficiently spreading peak-time travel densities and demand on Singapore’s rail network by encouraging citizens to more carefully consider when and how they travel.
Additionally, Singapore has launched the Smart Nation app, allowing residents to order self-driving vehicle services, receive alerts on air quality and temperature, and report municipal issues. Power to the people!
One Day, Every City Might Be Smart in Its Own Right
With the increasing prevalence of smart technologies in locations around the world, there’s no doubt that more and more governments will decide to take on smart initiatives and improve their sustainability levels, interconnectivity, and the lives of citizens. What an exciting thought that is!
