Smart City Design (SL IB Geography)

• Smart cities are those which are successful in six areas:
  • Economy
  • Environment
  • Population
  • Living conditions
  • Governance
  • Mobility
• The aim of smart cities is to manage resources effectively so that:
  • The population's needs are met
  • The environment is protected and improved
• Smart cities have a number of characteristics 

Characteristics of Smart Cities

ICT	Sustainability	Connectivity	Public Involvement
Technology is utilised to make urban systems more efficient; for example, traffic lights are programmed to adapt to congestion to reduce traffic jams	Solutions to urban issues have sustainability as a focus to reduce the impact of urban areas on the environment. Air quality sensors in Copenhagen are used to identify areas where emissions need to be reduced	The integration of digital technologies to manage the urban area efficiently. AI can be used to predict potential issues	The sharing of data between the urban systems and the population. The involvement of the population in planning and decision-making

What are the advantages and disadvantages of smart cities?

• The advantages of smart cities include the efficient:
  • Use of resources
  • Disposal of waste
  • Transport systems
  • Housing 
• The disadvantages of smart cities include:
  • Cost: the technology used is very expensive so smart cities are located in HICs 
  • Energy use: technology uses lots of energy, although this may be balanced by reduced energy use for transport, lighting etc.

• Several smart cities are in development around the world
• These are purpose-built settlements 
• The advantages of purpose-built smart cities are:
  • Old infrastructure does not have to be adapted it is all built as new
  • There is no existing population who will be disrupted by the changes

Songdo, South Korea

• Located approximately 20 miles southwest of Seoul
• The area has a population of 210 000 (2024)
• The smart city is built on an area of reclaimed land
• Still under development the city is due to be completed in 2025
• Sensors within the infrastructure of the city are used to monitor and regulate a range of activities and processes
  • Water pipes ensure that clean drinking water is not used in toilets
  • The sensors in the streets measure energy use and traffic flow
• Automated rubbish bins connected by pipes to an underground sorting centre 
• The city has the highest concentration of projects in the world which meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards
• Large areas of green space
• There is an integrated transport system where there is a bus stop or subway stop within 12-minute walk of each neighbourhood
• An extensive bike infrastructure

• Although urban areas can be built from scratch to be smart cities, most smart cities of the future already exist
• To improve the sustainability and resilience of these cities, they need to be adapted
• The adaptations involve adding new smart technology to the existing infrastructure
  • This is known as retrofitting
• Retrofitting is expensive and can lead to lots of disruption because the existing infrastructure has to be disturbed

New York

• A range of organisations, together with City of New York government, are working towards making New York a smart city
• The city is adopting smart technology to improve transport, health, safety and productivity
• The technology also works to reduce waste water and energy use 

Transport

• Sensors to streamline traffic flow
• Charging stations throughout the city for electric vehicles
• Car-sharing schemes to reduce congestion and emissions

Safety 

• CompStat logs crime; it then uses the data to help predict where and when crime will occur

Health

• Air quality sensors to identify areas of air pollution
• Seventy-five temporary air monitoring stations are moved every two weeks to new sites
• There are also eight permanent air monitors

Energy

• The replacement of old bulbs with LED bulbs in 650 government buildings
• Smart meter readings for energy use to discourage waste
• Switching some residents from oil to gas, which has fewer emissions

Waste

• Solar-powered rubbish bins 'BigBelly' which compact the waste 
• The bins request emptying when full

Water

• Automated meter reading (AMR) units have been installed in over 800 000 properties
• The AMR units:
  • Warn of potential leaks
  • Monitor how water is used