Many developments that were previously unthinkable are now a reality in our cities. At the international ” Smart City Expo World Congress ” fair in Barcelona, you can already take a look into the future. Experts and citizens are working on sustainable and integrative metropolises. Intelligent urban development concepts for a better quality of life is the topic of this episode of Target.
Common solutions: Many cities have similar problems
Many big cities (London, New York, Paris, etc) are experiencing similar issues in sustainability and mobility. Practically 50% of the human population lives in urban areas and that figure could rise to 68%. Why not share the solutions to existing common challenges?
“Cities are made of dreams. That is the motto of this edition of the international” Smart City Expo World Congress “fair, where everyone dreams of a sustainable, intelligent and integrative urban revolution”, says Euronews reporter Cristina Giner.
Transport is a key issue
Transport is a key issue. Finding solutions for sustainable urban mobility is the goal of many manufacturers: bicycles, motorcycles, scooters, or two-seater small cars that are powered by solar or electrical energy. Others focus on improving public transport:
“The best-documented example is what we did for public transport in London: We helped them implement open payment systems, card access at the turnstile,” says Miguel Gamiño, Executive Vice President Enterprise Partnerships and Head of Global Cities Mastercard “. “This means that people who already have a card in their pocket don’t have to queue at the top-up machine. This has saved the agency £ 100 million a year.”
5G enables smarter cities
The digital transformation of cities will take a giant leap with 5G. The fifth generation of wireless broadband technology will enable smarter cities: It will make traffic with autonomous vehicles or remote control of public lighting a new reality.
“We have to think about what kind of cities we want, what quality of life we strive for, how our children should live and then turn all of that into reality,” says Ugo Valenti, director of the international “Smart City Expo World Congress” fair: “We are trying to get cities and businesses to share not only the good but also the bad experiences because what went wrong in New Delhi today may already have happened in Copenhagen and they have found solutions to fix it. ”
In addition to the relevant technologies, collaboration and networking are also important: promoting platforms on which cities and companies can exchange ideas and learn from other urban revolutions.
More quality of life and more time for one another
Innovation and technology are the engines of smart urban development: the aim is to improve the quality of life and time. David Ricketts, Technology Professor at Harvard University says:
“In my opinion, the city of the future isn’t all about technology. It’s about people having more time for each other.”
Participation, innovation, networking, integration: Until the next edition of this trade fair, many urban planning dreams can come true through experts in the field of engineering, housing (thehouseguysdc.com), and technology.