Smart Cities | Notion

Date: 14/09/23

Cities are growing rapidly > communities of shared capital, knowledge, and technology.
According to ‘The World Bank’ today, 56% of the world’s population live in cities.
75% of the EU population live within urban areas (European Commission).
Smart cities can be the glue for a sustainable future with continued job creation and economic growth.
‘Smart cities’ and cities can play a key role towards sustainable solutions, aiming to strengthen the quality of life of citizens across several interconnected dimensions, using a holistic approach.
Deploying ICTs as the facilitator.

The need for Smart Cities

The rapid increase in urbanisation (increase in the proportion of people living in towns and cities).
Cities have become a central point for the global economy and economic development.
As economic activity grows it can be said that it has an increase with greenhouse gas emissions. (Historical emissions considered with industry)

We have ‘Sustainable Cities’ and ‘Eco Cities’ but they differ from smart cities in the sense that smart cities consider Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) when creating a more sustainable city. However, they all have the same goal of becoming ‘sustainable’.
ICT is fundamental for smart cities, without this technology the idea of a smart city cannot exist.
ICT is used to enhance the quality, performance, and collaboration of urban services, reduce cost and consumption, and better the contact between citizens and city authorities. (Traditional solutions are no longer sufficient in meeting the needs of the urban problems of today).