Smart Cities Pave the Efficient way to Eco-Friendly Living
Going green and smart is the need of the hour. We just can’t keep on talking about the smart city mission until and unless we act on a green, sustainable future as well as an eco-friendly living. Traffic jams, pollution, desolate areas are the most prominent hindrances that many cities face. Additionally rising urban population means these problems may soon get worse in coming future. The shift towards smarter towns is a significant way to help urban areas grow and become better sustainable place as well as eco-friendly living at the same time. Time has come to encourage smart city solutions for a better tomorrow.
Imagine a city you know. How easy is it to drive as well as find a cool parking place? Is the shopping area crowded? Is it even safe to drive a bike on jam-packed roads? Now imagine that same city with more cars, motorcycles and more crowd. According to the United Nations, the overall urban population across the globe gets a hike from around 3.92 billion to 6.25 billion. That’s a tremendous increase of nearly 60 percent of the population.
How to accommodate such population? One of the best trends could be Smart City Solutions. The cities that can source and interlink the best solutions for mobility, space consumption, sustainable energy and most importantly, offer an excellent place to work and live despite the rising population.
What are smart city solutions?
The central question arises while talking about making cities smart is what exactly is a smart city?
Well, in straightforward terms, Smart City refers to the combination of information and communication technologies which enhance urban innovation, human networks and quality of life of its citizens. The smart city solutions acknowledge the values of collaboration across various groups including business, city government as well as people coming together to find practical solutions for the city of the future.
Sustainability is a crucial factor in smart cities. Not only should cities function best at every level, but they should also gain smart, ecological growth.
At a fundamental level, a city is a collection of various networks: networks of people, technologies, as well as infrastructure. When these networks collectively work in sync, they enable reducing energy consumption, best use of space and intensifying quality of life.
Various technologies help in making a city smart. Powerful Sensors help managing streetlights and traffic signals. Other sensors help to detect water leaks as well as air quality for high pollution levels. Such efforts genuinely benefit the environment in many ways.
The upbringing of Urban IQ
Practically, many initiatives lead a city to be smart. It can include construction, building management, urban planning, redevelopment, transportation as well as city administration. These are just the tip of the iceberg.
Renewable energies from wind, solar and thermal sources play a significant role because among other things, public health relies on a healthy environment. Renewable energies support slash down of fuel consumption hence, support cleaner air quality. The cities to adopt smart city solutions also have to learn efficient use of power to go green.
Buildings, for instance, are responsible for 40% of the world’s energy uptake. Buildings are ready for the age of smart cities, with enhancing web of development across many fields like green roofing, solar tech and many more. Apart from these, innovative and exciting ideas like power generating elevators are gaining momentum as well.
To implement smart city solutions, use of smart technology is a must. It can improve city living at a personal level. Use of Smartphone apps may help to address public health as well as help people grow their energy efficiency or even find the nearest parking space.
Myriad Aspects of Smart City Concept
Research and Development Head, ThyssenKrupp steel Europe states,
“Businesses and communities worldwide are cooperating to find solutions that can be integrated flexibly, sustainably and aesthetically into urban structures to provide a better quality of life.”
Moving Further
Most travelers are familiar with traffic jams or delays in public transportation. Adoption of Smart mobility offers comfortable transportation options hence making cities efficient as well as eco-friendly. Cyclists and pedestrians in the future smart cities might enjoy elevated paths that erase long waiting at crosswalks.
Urban railway stations can also assist larger areas by installing fast-moving pathways that utilize overlapping panels to allow for a secure start and finish.
Such improvements prove beneficial for the people having disabilities and also for those who don’t have their vehicles. Better connections help them travel and reach the places they live.
With safe and sound public transport systems, it certainly helps in reduction of energy consumption and harmful emissions which protects the environment and make cities a better place to live.
Sustainability Factor
The quality of urban life also depends on having the right exponents for the environment. Further, the support from Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certificate also recognizes buildings for efficient energy consumption, air quality, water usage as well as recycling practices. The International and regional certifications determine businesses for going beyond the standards. In return, companies can bolster their image by showcasing their higher standards of sustainability for the future betterment.
The future is Smart via Smart city solutions
Smart city solutions make the most efficient use of the space as well as available resources to provide clean and attractive livable space for everyone. For this, everyone has worked together in sync and contribute to finding innovative solutions. Do you have any ideas for your city? Share with us!
Stay tuned with us for more information on green buildings, LEED certifications as well as future construction technologies and more.