Sustainable cities, which are connected and improved through technology usage. Sustainable cities are not only an unstoppable global phenomenon. It is also the only solution to contain and reduce the worrying environmental, social, and economic repercussions that urbanization will have on our planet.
Every day, more than 180,000 people move to a city to live. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) predicts that by 2050 the world's population will reach 9 billion, 70% of whom will live in urban centers since megacities already consume more than 75% of the world's energy production and generate 80% of greenhouse gas emissions. In response to global warming (GHG), many cities have chosen to change strategically and transform themselves digitally in response to some of the biggest global challenges: population growth and pollution— resource scarcity; water management, and energy efficiency.
They have done this by transforming into smart cities. They rely on information and communication technology (ICT) and big data to manage everything in an efficient and sustainable way, from transportation to the use of energy or water resources and public spaces, and to connect with their residents to reduce energy consumption, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and increase the well-being of their residents. Its inhabitants.
Here are the five smartest cities in the world: According to the Smart City Index, these are the five smartest and most efficient cities on the planet in terms of mobility, health, safety, and productivity:
Singapore: This city leads the way as it has been able to implement some advanced measures such as smart traffic control solutions with a system that allows drivers to save up to 60 hours per year, "driverless" taxis, smart surveillance cameras to detect criminal activities and Smart Health, It is a program that allows all the elderly to obtain special devices that allow medical consultations at any time.
LONDON: The British capital, the only European city in the top five, has equipped all streets in the Westminster area with infrared sensors, which alert users through an app to the availability of parking spaces.
NEW YORK: The Center for the World Economy has installed sensors in traffic lights and on buses to ease traffic congestion in the Big Apple.
San Francisco: Mobility is the biggest problem facing Golden Gate City and in order to reduce traffic and pollution, they have opted for electric autonomous transportation.
Chicago: More than 500 sensors have turned this city into a smart district, with traffic lights, street lighting, and trash containers all connected to the Internet.
All of these cities are examples of renewal, but in parallel, there are 100% new smart capitals. As for Masdar (Dubai), a completely sustainable eco-city without cars is the first city-based on clean and renewable energy in the world; Dongtan near Shanghai, where only renewable energy is used and almost all waste generated is recycled.
Smart city activity will reach nearly $1.5 trillion worldwide, and this figure is an unmistakable sign that investment and commitment to this type of urban environment will continue to grow exponentially over the coming years.
