Debate around the social sustainability of urban communities is heating up. Cities are being challenged to guarantee inclusion and equitable access to essential resources and services and adjust urban design to improve safety and security.
During a panel discussion at the recent Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, the concept of making cities a home that people can appreciate was explored. According to Valentina Taddeo, marketing and communication leader at Paradox Engineering, a city becomes a home when it succeeds in making each resident feel a sense of familiarity, security and belonging.
Smart cities are here to stay. What was considered a big trend a few years ago is now an established topic and a reality for many citizens.
Today we have world rankings, thematic indexes, certifying and specialised companies, cases and, above all, the interest of the public sector and society in advancing this agenda.
The aim of this article is to give a brief overview of the subject and to understand how far we have come and where we are going. A journey through the most impressive Smart Cities initiatives on the planet and their impact on society. The starting point is a simple question:
Weiterlesen: From the rise to the consolidation of smart cities
How connectivity is shaping smart cities: The Internet of Things and its real-world impact right now
In an increasingly digital world, the right connectivity is essential for meeting the complex needs of modern businesses.
But looking beyond its application in everyday business use, connectivity is also paramount for enabling the innovative technologies powering modern smart cities.
To provide context for those who haven't followed the meteoric rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), in 2023, there were 15.9 billion IoT devices connected globally. By 2030, that figure is forecast to more than double.
When we step back from high emotions—in either direction—after the U.S. election last week, we see millions of extraordinary people doing yeoman’s work to make our lives, cities, and communities better and more resilient. Hundreds of ways they are doing so were on vivid display at the Smart Cities Expo World Congress 2024 last week in Barcelona, Spain which I had the privilege of exploring. People from across the globe who share a fervent desire to make our cities run more efficiently, serve more residents more effectively and be more resilient – that is, to make them “smarter” — gathered and displayed their solutions.
It's a living reminder that clever, determined, creative people will always use their imagination, resources, networks and elbow grease to find a way to solve every day challenges both large and small. Most of the people I talked to at the Expo – from the Netherlands, to Cyprus and Singapore, from Europe to the Middle East, and fellow Americans – are quick to say their work continues no matter who sits in the White House.
Today’s smart metering solutions have evolved with a wide range of connectivity options and choosing the right solution can unlock new levels of performance, scalability and cost-efficiency.
Smart metering has been a driving force in the IoT revolution for over 25 years. Utilities have long faced the challenge of collecting data from connected meters in remote, often hard-to-reach locations – underground, in pits or even submerged in water.