How smart city innovation can achieve

As the race to reach net zero continues, cities across the world are stepping up, filling gaps where national government’s may be coming up short.

The need to do so couldn’t be more clear and local authorities are aware of this – three-quarters have declared a climate emergency since 2018. How cities go about reducing greenhouse gas emissions and tackling air quality is a different ball game which requires innovation and imagination. Could the concept of smart cities be the answer?

Thought to be rooted in the 1990’s Smart Growth movement which advocated for a new approach to urban planning, the concept is about integrating technology into city infrastructure and services. Peter Griffiths, Global Urban Futures Expert at innovation platform BABLE, says the concept was formed ‘to create interest in the adoption of technologies in places around the world.’ He adds: ‘But increasingly, it's grown into something much bigger than smart cities. A lot of people talk about “smart places”, with the idea being that technological benefits should be something that anybody can enjoy regardless of where they live.’

When it comes to environmental challenges, there are several ways in which smart cities are using technological advances to restructure the daily workings of a city. As data suggests that car journeys need to reduce by around 25% to reach net zero, one of the clearest ways smart cities can make a difference is by transforming the future of mobility.

This is where key questions arise, says Griffiths: ‘How do we track the impact of each journey? How do we make journeys more convenient? And how do we remove the need for journeys?’ ambitions.