The Benefits To The Environment Of Smart City Living

Posted on Feb 28, 2018 in Sustainable Living & Sustainable Lifestyle by Matthew Speer 1 Comment

Advanced technology is moving forward many of the strategies associated with smart city living, from energy-efficient homes and cars to giving residents the ability to monitor air pollution.

Smart City Living

There are so many different directions that smart cities are taking that it can prove difficult to determine exactly what a “smart city” might look like in the future. But certainly, the goal is to make cities more livable, less congested and, importantly, far more environmentally friendly.

The following represent some of the ways smart city innovations will benefit not only the lives of those living in them, but also the environment.

Fewer Emissions

Smart cities will have fewer cars on the roadway. That means promoting and even offering ride-sharing and bike-sharing services. Public transportation also is a main component of many smart city plans. That also means designing neighborhoods and business areas that are walkable, requiring less time spent in cars.

Smart Cars

Self-driving, autonomous vehicles that use far less fuel and cause fewer accidents are on the horizon. Hybrid and electric cars have already reduced emissions, something that will advance as more people buy these vehicles. And while autonomous cars might still be many years away, they will eventually become commonplace on roadways over the next two or three decades.

Smart Street Lights

Smart street lights use LED lights, which last longer and require less energy to operate. They also can be dimmed or brightened depending on the location and time of day, leading to less energy use while still maintaining safety and security.

Microgrids

Experiments are underway in places such as Arizona and Alabama to construct towns that are on their own microgrid that can function independently of the larger energy grid. One advantage is that currently, all homes and businesses are connected to one power grid. If one area of the grid needs to be repaired, then the entire grid is affected.

Because of its smaller size, a microgrid also can be powered by a system of generators, large batteries and renewable sources such as solar panels, or some combination of all three. Set up correctly, it’s possible for a microgrid to run indefinitely.

Monitoring Environmental Conditions

Using the Internet of Things (IoT), sensors and cameras can be placed strategically around a city to capture both data and visual images that help city residents in a variety of areas. That include monitoring pollution and air quality, traffic congestion, temperatures and sound levels. This information can help city leaders in developing the best strategies to ease congestion and reduce pollution. It also gives residents with access to this information the ability to make better decisions on routes they will take to work, for example.

These are some of the ways smart city living will do less damage to the environment. With the population growing and more people moving into urban areas, it’s a change that needs to happen sooner rather than later.