Smart cities represent a paradigm shift in urban development, leveraging technology to optimize resources and consumption while improving services for citizens. The goal is to make cities more livable and sustainable by minimizing waste, directing energy where it’s most needed, and effectively managing traffic and pedestrian flows.
Having previously discussed how to build a smart city, today we focus on another crucial aspect of smart city development: the Internet of Things, or IoT.
IoT and smart cities go hand in hand, as we will now explain.
As a technology that enables everyday objects to connect to the internet, allowing them to communicate by sending data and receiving commands, IoT is an essential component of smart cities.
The concept of a “smart city” is built on the extensive use of connected devices—from road sensors to adaptive street lighting—to collect and analyze data in real-time, providing immediate responses and long-term strategies.
Let’s now explore the most significant applications of the Internet of Things for smart cities.
According to a study conducted in several Chinese smart cities, intelligent cities can reduce energy consumption by 3.3% and energy intensity by 5.3% through optimized energy use. This is achieved thanks to the application of Internet of Things technologies in areas such as:
- Smart grid: electrical grids equipped with sensors can monitor energy consumption and production levels from renewable sources, significantly reducing waste and optimizing resources.
- Urban lighting: adaptive lighting technologies allow for greater efficiency and improved city livability. Smart lighting can adjust the activation and intensity of public and street lights based on luminance, weather, and traffic conditions. This not only illuminates cities more effectively with fewer resources but also reduces light pollution, contributing to a healthier natural environment.
- Smart buildings: when the Internet of Things is integrated into buildings, energy consumption can also be optimized for lighting, heating, and cooling.
Mobility, a critical aspect of urban infrastructure, especially in large cities and transport hubs, can greatly benefit from IoT in smart cities. Here are a few examples of its use:
- Traffic management: Monitoring traffic flows allows for the identification of critical areas, enabling both short-term and long-term interventions.
- Smart parking: From easier payments to detecting available parking spaces, smart parking improves efficiency and user convenience.
- Public transport planning: Sensors and connected devices can monitor passenger flows on public transport and cross-reference this data with vehicular traffic to design a transport network that truly meets the city’s needs.
More efficient lighting and improved mobility, along with smart cameras capable of detecting issues such as theft, accidents, and fires, lead to safer cities. Public spaces, buildings, and infrastructure become more secure, allowing citizens to enjoy them with greater peace of mind.
From air quality sensors to devices that notify sanitation workers when waste bins are full, the Internet of Things helps make smart cities healthier and more livable.
IoT can be employed to digitalize various aspects of citizen services, increasing efficiency, reducing manual labor, and ensuring more widespread communication of important information.
Optimized services, reduced energy consumption, more efficient mobility, and enhanced security—these are the well-known advantages of applying the Internet of Things in smart cities.
More and more cities are embracing technologies like adaptive lighting and other advanced solutions that combine functionality and efficiency to reduce their environmental impact, cut costs, and improve the quality of life for their citizens.
