SMART CITIES
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“ The only way we will tackle climate change and create cities fit for the future is by rethinking our relationship with energy as individuals , businesses and nations ”
— Mike Hughes , Zone President UK & Ireland , Schneider Electric
Naya Raipur is a smart city project located in the newly formed state of Chhattisgarh in India Photo © Smart Cities Council India a project which aims to build an entirely new capital city for the newly created state of Chhattisgarh . The funding , expertise , organisation , planning and collaboration to create this smart city from the ground up is incredible . Smart cities at this scale require multi-level governance , expert consultants , technology firms and vendors working together to make the concept a reality . But the vast majority of the world ’ s population live in existing towns and cities , not brand-new developments .
Ageing city infrastructures pose connectivity and network management challenges . At the same time , a 24 / 7 society and a wide array of IoT-enabled devices and electric vehicles ( EV ) are fuelling greater energy demand . While cities are tasked with improving services and building new transport networks , hospitals , schools , and homes to accommodate population growth , they do so with tightening budgets . Critical infrastructure ( old or new ) – such as hospitals , airports , live entertainment venues , schools and office buildings – must be reliable , functional but also efficient if we are to build a sustainable future . And it is in efficiency where there is potential to
JUNE 2019