The topic was discussed at a panel discussion at Expo 2020’s Terra Auditorium at the Travel and Connectivity Week
What does the future of transportation in smart cities look like? A trio of smart governance, complementary energy sources and efficient urban restructuring have been identified as critical components in decarbonising transportation in smart cities according to several smart infrastructure experts from University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD), University of Wollongong, Australia (UOW) and technology entities.
Speaking at a panel discussion at Expo 2020’s Terra Auditorium on 14 January for Travel and Connectivity Week, experts from Lebanon, Australia and the UAE offered their insights into behavioural changes for the implementation of smart transport networks, renewable energy’s role in decarbonising transportation for developing countries, how evolving technologies are proving to be energy efficient and cost effective, and how electrification and hydrogen fuel cell technology is needed to reduce carbon emissions for heavy transport such as marine and aviation.
UOWD’s Dr May El Barachi, Associate Dean of Research & Head of Industry Outreach and Executive Learning, who hosted the panel, said: “Smart cities are the cities of the future that will rely on technology, while focusing on sustainability and quality of life. However, time is of the essence to take the right measures in order to drastically cut carbon emissions and reduce global warming.
“The transportation sector is expected to triple in size over the next 20 years and we need to adopt sustainable solutions such as vehicle electrification, improving the energy efficiency of conventional vehicles, and switching to bio-fuels, to achieve carbon emission reduction goals.”
Prof Pascal Perez, Director of the Smart infrastructure facilities at University of Wollongong, Australia, said that without effective governance from countries, investing in technology will not achieve the decarbonisation of transport infrastructure.
He said: “A cultural change has to happen and while smart automation can enhance the quality of people’s lives, we need ask ourselves: are we solving the right problems and asking the right questions?
“We need to reconfigure the whole transport network if we are going to achieve the net zero carbon goal as there are many challenges and logistical issues that have to be taken into account.”
Commenting on the convenience for the use of technology and the emergence of advanced telecommunications capabilities, Dr Haile-Selassie Rajamani, Engineering Program Director at UOWD said: “It is important to look at future technologies, but we need a clear vision of what a smart city might be before decarbonising.”
The panel comprised other key figures from the smart infrastructure sector including Balqees Al Daghar, E. Mobility Solutions Manager, ABB Dubai, and Ty Christopher, Director Energy Futures Network at University of Wollongong, Australia, and Dr Imad Hoballah, Chairman and CEO, BIDS, Lebanon.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Disha Dadlani
Quelle/Source: Construction Week, 19.01.2022
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