The term “smart city” refers to a city that uses technology and data to improve the quality of life of its residents, optimize the operation of its infrastructure, and promote sustainability.
Smart cities utilize data collection from various sources, such as sensors, mobile devices, and monitoring systems. Then, after proper processing using specialized models and algorithms, they can analyze the data and make decisions based on real-time information.
The technologies used in smart cities include, among others: the Internet of Things (IoT) and related infrastructures (sensors, controllers, actuators, telecommunications infrastructure), Cloud Computing, Edge Computing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms for data analysis. Through these technologies, smart cities collect data, analyze it, and make decisions to optimize their operations.
For a city to be considered “smart,” it must adhere to certain guidelines and achieve specific goals. In this case, it represents a combination of six key characteristics, as shown in the image below:
By combining these characteristics, smart cities offer numerous benefits both for citizens and for the entities based in them. Some of the main benefits include:
- Improvement of Quality of Life: They provide advanced services and solutions that improve residents’ quality of life, such as smart transportation services, efficient energy management, smart security systems, digital public health services, and much more.
- Sustainable Development: They promote sustainability and sustainable development through the use of green technologies (Green Computing). Green technologies, combined with efficient infrastructure, reduce energy and resource consumption while promoting the use of renewable energy sources. This leads to waste and greenhouse gas emissions reduction, contributing to environmental protection.
- Intelligent Infrastructure Management: They use data and telematics technologies to effectively manage their infrastructure, such as transportation networks, energy, waste, and available resources.
- Active Citizen Participation: They encourage citizens’ involvement in public affairs and cooperation with relevant authorities to solve issues and make decisions. Through various applications and platforms, citizens can provide feedback, report problems, and contribute to decision-making.
