Smart Cities Report 2016

A supplement of:

SMART CITIES REPORT

the internet of things Examining hoW thE intErnEt of things is changing our livEs for thE bEttEr smart transportation hoW thE gcc is implEmEnting smart tEchnology across its transport nEtWorks

technology marches on With technology evolving rapidly, the region’s smart city plans take shape

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www.wsp-pb.com | www.wsp-pb.ae

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I AM INNOVATIVE TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS

NOOR HAJIR SENIOR ENGINEER - TRANSPORT PLANNING

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Introduction

PUBLISHING DIrector RAZ ISLAM raz.islam@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5471 eDItorIAL DIrector VIJAYA CHERIAN vijaya.cherian@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5472 eDItorIAL eDItor GAVIN DAVIDS gavin.davids@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5480 oNLINe eDItor BEN FLANAGAN ben.flanagan@cpimediagroup.com SUB eDItor AELRED DOYLE aelred.doyle@cpimediagroup.com ADVertISING coMMercIAL DIrector JUDE SLANN jude.slann@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5496 coMMercIAL DIrector MICHAEL STANSFIELD michael.stansfield@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5497 SALeS MANAGer FAAJU ABDULFATAH faaju.abdulfatah@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5495 MArKetING MArKetING MANAGer LISA JUSTICE lisa.justice@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5498 DeSIGN Art DIrector SIMON COBON cIrcULAtIoN & ProDUctIoN DIStrIBUtIoN MANAGer SUNIL KUMAR sunil.kumar@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5476 ProDUctIoN MANAGer VIpIN V. VIJAY vipin.vijay@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5713 WeB DeVeLoPMeNt MOHAMMAD AwAIS SADIq SIDDIqUI SHAHAN NASEEM PUBLISHeD By

Embrace the future

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THE INTERNET OF THINGS

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he term ‘smart city’ has been bandied about for quite a few years now. I remember first hearing it when it came up at a press conference I went to, back in early 2011. But in the years since, the concept has always remained something hazy and ill-defined. It was always a concept that seemed to be ‘there’ in the distant future.

Well, if this year’s Smart City report is any indication, the future is now here. It’s amazing how rapidly things can change.

With the advancements in cloud technology, communications and automation, we’re now on the cusp of fully realising the smart city dream.

Looking at the pace of advancement, by this time next year, a good few of us could be reading the 2017 edition of the Smart City report while our selfdriving cars take us to work down Dubai’s intelligent highways!

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THE MARCH OF TECHNOLOGY

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TRANSFORMING THE NETWORKS

Registered at IMpZ pO Box 13700 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 440 9100 Fax: +971 4 447 2409 www.cpimediagroup.com Founder Dominic De Sousa (1959-2015) Printed by printwell printing press LLC

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A supplement of Big project Middle East © Copyright 2016 CpI. All rights reserved while the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

Gavin Davids editor gavin.davids@cpimediagroup.com

AUTONOMOUS IS THE ANSWER Smart Cities Report 2016 1

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Internet of Things

“If you can thInk of an Idea that has the power to connect people, places and thIngs, nothIng Is ImpossIble wIth Iot�

Emily Tantau, head of IT in the Middle East for AECOM, outlines how the Internet of Things is changing our lives for the better 2 Smart Cities Report 2016

Internet of Things

Smart Cities Report 2016 3

In association with:

Internet of Things

I

n this day and age, it’s hard to escape buzzwords such as ‘Internet of Things (IoT)’ or ‘smart city’, but what do these phrases really mean? And how can the IoT benefit us in the real world? Be it at home, in the office, on a construction site or even in an entire city, the IoT is an ecosystem of devices connected to each other and the internet that allows us to become more efficient in our personal and professional lives.

Most of you already live in your own personal IoT ecosystem, whether you realise it or not. Smartphones, wearable sports bands and smart TVs are all connected to yourself and to each other. You can start small – the sports band can record your run and collate data allowing you to track your speed, heart rate, distance and even traffic.

Or think outside of the box.

Imagine living in a smart home where you can wake up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and breakfast cooking, thanks to the wearable device on your wrist sensing you are about to wake up. Imagine if traffic is preventing you from being able to make a meeting on time and the attendees can be advised via email, thanks to your smart watch knowing not only where you need to go but how long it will take to get there. Imagine never running out of milk, juice or your favourite foods because your fridge knows when it’s time to order more.

This is a life that some people are living right now because they 4 Smart Cities Report 2016

A force for change IoT has the power to change the way entire towns and cities function, says Emily Tantau.

have devices connected to the internet. The technology removes the need to complete mundane tasks and allows us to live a more comfortable and efficient lifestyle.

However, the IoT extends much further than just personal and home management. The IoT is changing the way that entire towns and cities are functioning.

The idea of a smart city is very simple if you think of it the same way as using technology to manage your everyday life, then just expand that idea and imagine the bigger picture. A smart city connects a city and its schools, hospitals, libraries, infrastructure grid and resources together to monitor data and make intelligent and valuable decisions. Many cities around the world are adapting to this new ideal, creating knowledge-centric and cost-effective locations that provide a better quality of life for residents. These gradual changes can have an incredible positive impact on the wellbeing of citizens by ensuring timeliness

“The idea of a smart city is very simple if you think of it the same way as using technology to manage your everyday life, then just expand that idea and imagine the bigger picture”

and accuracy of service and a vast increase in the communication of information. Data can be collected, collated and reported upon in real time to provide insight on what is important to the lives of residents, what improvements should be prioritised and the best course of action using predictive modelling.

New cities go beyond just providing a positive impact on the lives of residents, to building a self-sustainable and environmentally friendly city.

Masdar City in the UAE is the perfect example of this. Set to become the world’s first zero carbon and zero waste city, it relies solely on solar and other renewable energy sources to power its buildings, facilities and construction. As well as being environmentally smart, Masdar will also be technically smart, with much of its intelligence focused on following a green, sustainable way of life.

The city plan is designed with accessibility in mind, allowing residents and visitors to easily travel by foot, bicycle or using the city’s system of self-driving public transport. Even cycling during the summer months in Abu Dhabi has been taken into consideration.

The streets of Masdar are designed to be 15 degrees Celsius cooler than its surrounding desert during heat waves. Electric and other renewable energy cars will be used for commuting, some of which are currently in use. Masdar’s sustainable ideas, partnered with the connectivity found in standard smart cities, will pave the way for the future city-wide application of the IoT. There is much opportunity for using the IoT in the construction industry. At present, we see many companies using wireless devices for site surveys, tracking time and location of staff, and management of equipment/machinery. Safety is

Internet of Things

a top priority in the industry. IoT can be used to assist in mitigating the health and safety risks to employees and contractors working on-site. Truck drivers can use wearables that track their heart rate and movements, so that their supervisors can be alerted if they fall asleep behind the wheel. GPS tracking can ensure that no one wanders into areas deemed unsafe – you can even go one step further and restrict access unless a hard hat has been sensed. These are such simple implementations, but they can have a huge impact on the safety of employees, potentially saving lives and preventing injuries.

Though there may seem to be nothing but positives from

the IoT, there has been a lot of doubt surrounding the hype that exists around it. There have been questions around the data and how this information can be shared. Is it a major invasion of our privacy? We now live in a world where everything we do can be monitored, tracked and reported on, from how long it takes us to commute home each day to the amount of water we use and the other mundane tasks that are part of our daily routines.

How would you feel if you walked into a supermarket knowing that every step you took was noted and reported on – how long you took standing in a certain aisle, your weight, your movements, the flavour

of crisps you chose. One of the main criticisms surrounding the IoT is that security is a major issue and that it can facilitate more threats as each device is connected to the ever growing ecosystem. Companies are pushing themselves to not only invest in getting the most out of analysing the data which is being produced, but also in ensuring that their information is secure and safe, especially for their customers. We often hear in the news of companies whose data has been compromised and have suffered irreparable reputational damage as a result.

So what’s in store for the future of the IoT? If your mind isn’t already buzzing with ideas about

how it can improve your life, both at home and in the workplace, then all you need to do is think about what challenges you could tackle with the aid of technology.

People talking to machines, talking to machines, talking to people.

Everything has become connected.

If you can think of an idea that has the power to connect people, places and things, nothing is impossible with IoT. Start small and think about simple tasks in your life that could become more efficient with the help of knowledge and communication.

The opportunities are virtually endless; we can do so much more with the IoT than just have some freshly brewed coffee when our alarm goes off in the morning.

Sustainable intelligence Most of Masdar City’s intelligence is focused around following a green, sustainable way of life.

Smart Cities Report 2016 5

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Smart government

driving the smart agenda

Tayfun Topkoc, managing director of SAP UAE, explains how the multinational technology giant is working with UAE government bodies to drive smart government agendas smart Utilities Smart Utilities is seeing a strong GCC take-up, with Big Data reimagining utility providers’ business models.

6 Smart Cities Report 2016

SAP has a number of partnerships with UAE government bodies. What do these partnerships entail, and how do you work with them to achieve the Smart Cities agenda?

SAP is co-innovating with numerous UAE government organisations to use real-time data to advance their smart government agendas and solutions, and enhance the daily lives of citizens.

The SAP HANA in-memory platform is the essential pillar of our alignment with the UAE government, which can support projects in the infrastructure for Internet of Things applications

such as smart homes and meters, rooftop solar panels, electric vehicle charging stations and the back-end customer service.

With the Smart Grid infrastructure, UAE utilities can deploy smart customer services, enhance operations and its smart grid, and thus improve environmental sustainability.

SAP has been involved in partnerships with the likes of DEWA and FEWA for Smart Utilities.

What is this concept, and how is it being implemented in the GCC?

Many utilities worldwide face

Smart government

outdated transmission grids, new forms of renewable energy generating power and an increasing number of customers looking to generate power off of the grid.

In response, Smart Utilities are seeing strong GCC take-up, with Big Data reimagining utility providers’ business models across grids, meters and customers to drive efficiency, compliance, customer service and sustainability.

In the GCC, SAP is sharing Smart Utilities best practices with utility providers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to save on costs and increasing operational

efficiency, and with Bahrain to support energy efficiency management and smart meters.

You’re known for your work in training the public sector leaders of tomorrow. What does that entail, and what impact will it have on smart city planning in the UAE?

Public-private partnerships are key for upskilling local talent to take the lead in developing Smart Cities. The UAE, with Smart City plans across the country and a highly educated population that is more than two thirds under 35 years old, is an essential country for training the millennial public sector leaders of tomorrow.

SAP’s Training and Development Institute is training thousands of young people across the Middle East and North Africa, and particularly in the UAE, in technology skills and knowledge.

In the UAE, the Institute is partnering with the Ras Al Khaimah e-Government Authority for training Emirati nationals, and with the Sharjah Tatweer Forum for empowering young innovators and supporting Sharjah’s Smart City plans through design thinking workshops.

SAP has previously partnered with the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government on the award-winning Innovation Days.

The lectures featured worldclass thought leaders on smart government innovations, while design thinking workshops helped to develop solutions for challenges facing governments and citizens.

How do you define a Smart City?

What are the latest innovations SAP is working on regarding them?

Smart Cities use real-time data from citywide sensors transmitted over Wi-Fi and broadband networks, for better decisionmaking and cleaner, safer and more competitive cities. Around

“The next steps in the UAE’s Smart City success will be to break down government silos, integrate and share data across real-time dashboards, and train employees on how to optimise and share data to enhance the daily lives of citizens” the world, cities are locked into a race for the top talent, and only the smartest cities will rise to the top in citizen services, livability and economic growth.

There are three key aspects of a Smart City: the willingness of policy makers to make a Smart City succeed; need for government to be transparent about when and

what it expects to achieve a smart city; the right infrastructure and solutions providers. Finally, a Smart City vision should combine those three aspects to drive success.

SAP’s Future Cities programme co-innovates with more than 4,500 local governments and Smart Cities around the globe.

The Barcelona for You Tourist Network provides real-time, personalised and geo-located tourism tips and offers; the Boston About Results programme has tracked 2,000 KPIs across 45 government departments to reduce crime by 55%; and the Port of Hamburg in Germany has cut truck driving time while supporting the port’s efficiency.

How do you view the UAE’s Smart City efforts and plans?

What do you think needs to be improved or focused on?

The UAE’s Smart City plans and efforts are among the world’s most inspiring, and demonstrate best practices for cities in emerging markets.

While both legacy and newer cities can become smart, greenfield sites such as those in the UAE hold the highest potential.

Dubai has the modern technology infrastructure and political vision to advance Smart City projects quickly.

Demonstrating the Smart City market opportunity in the UAE, Dubai has a value at stake of nearly $5 billion by 2020, according to a recent report by Smart Dubai.

The next steps in the UAE’s Smart City success will be to break down government silos, integrate and share data across real-time dashboards, and train employees on how to optimise and share data to enhance the daily lives of citizens.

Data will be at the heart of seamless urban experiences, especially for mega-events such as Expo 2020.

Smart Cities Report 2016 7

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Smart infrastructure

Smart infrastructure can help meet mounting challenges from population growth, greater consumer expectations, tighter budgets and finite natural resources. Mott MacDonald is helping enhance physical infrastructure with digital technology, to realise its full potential

The march of Technology 8 Smart Cities Report 2016

Smart infrastructure

Smart Cities Report 2016 9

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Figure 1: Anatomy of Smart Infrastructure

Smart Transport: All roads lead to digital

Mott MacDonald’s proprietary Osprey traffic management system provides road network managers with a comprehensive 10 Smart Cities Report 2016

Rule-based automation

ak -m ion cis De

Decision support tools

Machine learning

Improved decisions

Optimisation algorithms

ns

em

ak

in g

middleware Big data analysis

Improved intelligence

Data mining

Analytics

ge

me

nt

Se

Modelling

ma

na

Data cleaning

ta

Assets

Da

As digital enhancements are more cost-effective than traditional physical enhancements, the core value proposition is that smart infrastructure delivers better outcomes for the ultimate customers: fare- billand tax-payers and voters.

At the root, this added value comes from: Improving decisions – enabling better decisions, faster and cheaper.

Improving intelligence – providing better information to users and operators.

Empowering users – making consumers part of the infrastructure system, able to add value through their actions and benefit from doing so.

Harnessing the power of innovation – opening the world of infrastructure to the world of consumer innovation, bringing much enhanced agility in a fast-changing world.

In the face of ongoing investment constraint, smart infrastructure offers better whole-life value for the customer and society – increased outcome per pound.

The rise of smart infrastructure will disrupt asset delivery, operation and management. Infrastructure use patterns are likely to change.

Our working patterns and the skills we need will have to be reassessed, again and again.

Smart infrastructure is already transforming our industry.

The question for all of us is: how fast can we change?

in g

Smart Infrastructure

learning

Smart infrastructure

Data structure Customers

Data storage Costs

Activities

SCADA Systems

Customer billing

GPS

Ticketing/ counting

Social media

Sensors

Drone surveys

Laser surveys

Satellite imagery

GIS & BIM

Manufacturer data

CCTV

Scanned images

Control systems

Data management Smart infrastructure begins with data, which needs to be harvested, cleansed and structured.

In this layer sits data capture from any source, data cleansing and data structuring.

Sense making Value is added by making sense of the basic data using middleware, data mining, big data analysis and analytics. Intelligence gained can be used by operators and users to see and understand what’s going on. Alternatively, this intelligence can be fed into decision-making.

view of traffic conditions, enabling them to take action to combat congestion. It pulls in data on flow and congestion information from traffic detectors, and journey time data from sources such as automatic number plate recognition and GPS data. Urban traffic control systems can provide further input, while CCTV images allow operators to visually

Decision making Better decisions, faster and cheaper, enable asset performance to be optimised and efficiency maximised. Decisionmaking is assisted by decision support tools, optimisation algorithms and machine learning.

check network conditions.

Based on a geographic information system (GIS) map, Osprey can also be linked to environmental data to allow pollution levels to influence traffic management decisions, while weather data allows preemptive, targeted interventions to improve safety. Network managers can use Osprey to inform action, or automatic

Communication Communication connects all layers to each other while providing an interface with the outside world. This includes all machine-to-machine communications (such as the Internet of Things) and all machine-tohuman connections.

responses to pre-defined scenarios can be programmed, leading to immediate responses to manage sources of congestion on the roads.

Osprey is now in use in 14 local authorities around the UK, supporting congestion management in some of the UK’s largest cities. With improved traffic management, people now spend less time on gridlocked

Smart infrastructure

roads and more time doing the things they want to do.

Smart Utilities – Water

Smart infrastructure solutions squeeze more value out of existing assets; nowhere is this more important than in our water and wastewater infrastructure.

When water and wastewater assets fail, we tend to find out when the taps run dry or when the sewers overflow.

Establishing what the fault is and its exact location using physical evidence above ground takes time, especially with much of the infrastructure buried, leading to unacceptable loss of service. However, applying data-based systems gives us a much better idea of how water assets are performing.

We developed a smart infrastructure system which visualises the performance of water assets, enabling optimisation and focused maintenance. H2knOw-how comprises sensors installed at

critical points of the water or wastewater network, collecting real-time information on flow rates, water levels and pressures.

This is combined with core asset information and performance data sourced from BIM and GIS models, asset management systems, hydraulic models and external sources such as SCADA. To see is to understand

Fed into a powerful middleware application, the data is scrubbed, analysed and cross-referenced, creating an accurate visualisation of how the water asset is performing in real time. Asset managers are automatically notified of any anomalies in performance, and H2knOw-how can facilitate automated responses such as pipe closures or redirection for pre-defined incident scenarios.

So far, 12 local authorities use H2knOw-how to actively monitor their water and wastewater assets, optimising performance and providing a better and cheaper service to end users.

20% efficiency gain

Supporting disaster response

In Auckland, the city council manages over NZ$5bn of stormwater assets, but has depended on a paper-based system as well as audits of thousands of as-built drawings and CCTV videos in order to design renewal plans. H2knOwhow was brought in to digitise the entire management system and is now driving over NZ$10M in critical asset renewal projects. Real-time asset data provides an understanding of current performance, while data storage provides access to historic data, replacing the paper-based tracking system.

Our smart infrastructure solution has brought cost savings of over 20% through efficiency gains, and has minimised the need for external project management, bringing extra transparency to the work of Auckland City Council and giving residents confidence that their money is being spent where needed.

H2knOw-how also aids asset recovery in the event of a natural disaster. This was the case in Christchurch following the devastating earthquake in 2011, which destroyed a quarter of all city centre buildings and irreparably damaged up to 10,000 homes. The wastewater network suffered numerous ruptures.

Five years earlier, we had set up H2knOw-how on the city’s wastewater network. Postquake, this helped to identify breakages by comparing before and after data, immediately highlighting anomalies. Faults were easily located, and data analysis enabled us to measure the level of damage sustained, differentiating between severed pipes and those which had suffered less extensive damage, allowing action to be prioritised.

Although it took physical action to fix damage, smart infrastructure proved indispensable and saved valuable time, money and resources.

Figure 2: Creating value with smart infrastructure Infrastructure in use

Infrastructure value It is more cost-effective to add to the overall value of mature infrastructure via digital enhancements than by physical enhancements.

Customer value Better value for money, measured in terms of improved customer service/experience.

Physical enhancement

Infrastructure in use

Information value Information itself has value, and loss of information represents a loss of value. Information value is created by increasing connectivity (the network effect) and increasing itegration (reducing information loss at interfaces).

Integration value Value is enhanced through integration and sharing across: • The infrastructure process (use, operation, maintenance, investment planning, feasibility, design, manufacture, logistics, assembly) • The value chain (clients, asset managers, operators, contractors, consultants, suppliers, manufacturers).

• Sectors (communications, energy, transport, waste and water, but also health, education, policy)

Digital enhancement

Smart Cities Report 2016 11

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Building management systems

bMs benefits everyone BMS applications benefit not only owners, but also tenants and residents, by lowering costs and saving energy.

Gary Reader

The UAe’s inTelligenT bUilding chAllenge

Gary Reader, executive director – FMS, Imdaad, explains how intelligent buildings will soon be vital to the urban landscape As the UAE ushers in a smart city era where automation allows people to move with ease around the city – from home to a car or metro to buildings and offices – some building owners in the UAE are starting to get a grip of the dramatic changes about to happen in the management of their respective properties. From full manual operations, every building could soon become an ‘intelligent’ part of the urban landscape, connecting people and helping improve daily life.

However, some work remains when it comes to increasing the awareness among building owners across the UAE on the potential of building management systems 12 Smart Cities Report 2016

(BMS) or Building Automation Systems (BAS). Although more efficient ways to reduce electricity and water consumption through better, more technologically advanced building materials such as LED lighting and water-efficient flush systems have become essential features in many buildings, owners and developers in the Gulf have yet to catch up on how all these environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient services can be linked to each other and provide a new level of development in the built environment sector.

BMS is an integrated control system that allows a building’s facilities, such as lighting, air-

conditioning, ventilation, water, power, security and other engineering systems, to be managed through software and hardware programs installed in the building. Such systems are yet to be explored in the country by many property owners, with 80% of facilities managed through manual operations across the region.

BMS applications benefit not only building owners, but also tenants and residents. They lower cost, saving energy on HVAC and lighting systems while also minimising the environmental impact of energy consumption.

Apart from reducing costs and efficiently managing the building,

administrators can conveniently identify and immediately address operational issues, and avert any possible breakdowns that could interrupt business operations. But why should developers spend on BMS? Green sustainable buildings are becoming an important pillar for smart and sustainable cities to ensure they do not exhaust more natural resources and emit carbon dioxide, a commitment that most nations, including the UAE, signed up to in Paris in December 2015 to help reduce carbon emissions and avert global warming.

Scientists report that the built environment sector contributes

Building management systems

“Where energy management used to be more costly for property owners, introducing the IoT concept in the FM sector could be a game-changer”

more than 30% of total carbon dioxide emissions worldwide.

The growing relevance of interconnecting urban utilities and services to help reduce energy consumption has never been more pronounced in the UAE, which is considered a high carbon footprint country. Local governments are strongly advocating the need to reduce the country’s emissions, and as part of Vision 2021, to provide sustainable infrastructure. These are very much visible in new building regulations, which are becoming more stringent as local building codes such as Dubai’s LEED-based ratings system and Abu Dhabi’s Estidama incorporate

sustainability compliance.

The UAE is considered to be in the top ten countries with advanced green building facilities as well as the most number of green buildings, based on the United States-based LEED Ratings system. Among Middle East cities, according to a recent assessment of the region’s smart building performance by technology firm Honeywell International, Dubai scores high with 65 points out of 100; Abu Dhabi scores 48. But has the country fully optimised the current technologies in the sector?

One other key aspect of BMS which qualifies it as the foundation of an interconnected intelligent

building is its capacity to generate data. BMS offers an enormous amount of information when it comes to occupants’ consumption patterns, and to communicating and making them easily accessible to building owners and policy makers.

With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), smart, connected buildings offer a huge opportunity to not only improve the consumption patterns of individuals but also provide a healthier environment by addressing indoor pollution.

The prospects for saving energy through data management based on IoT technologies are huge in the UAE, where there is a growing concern among building owners to incorporate a more efficient system into their property management due to operational issues. Where energy management used to be more costly for property owners, introducing the IoT concept in the FM sector could be a game-changer.

In Dubai, such services are gaining ground with the recently launched Integrated Network Operations Centre (iNOC) by Imdaad, an intelligent command and control centre based on the IoT concept that provides remote access to BMS data from the building. Such smart solutions could help facilities reduce operational and energy expenses by 10-20%. Buildings with BMS systems also do not need an onsite BMS operator to connect to iNOC, which saves more money.

Such technologies could play a significant role, especially for property owners in Dubai, considering that sustainability is one of the main pillars of the upcoming Expo 2020. The UAE’s vision of dramatically transforming its cities into smart, connected and sustainable urban areas will be effectively achieved if buildings – an essential part of the city – take up the challenge to get smarter and greener in their ways.

Smart Cities Report 2016 13

In association with:

Smart cities

The SmarT CiTy ProCeSS

Big Project ME speaks to Mohammed Retmi and Wael Youssef of Orange Business Services, to understand how the region is approaching its smart cities revolution

appetite for investment There is large-scale appetite for investment in smart cities in the GCC region.

14 Smart Cities Report 2016

A number of governments in the Middle East have announced development plans for the coming decades. Examples include the UAE Vision 2021, the Qatar National Vision 2030, the Saudi Vision 2030 and the Egypt Vision 2030. These are all considered door-openers to large-scale projects, including the adoption of the smart and digital city concepts that are constantly evolving.

With a number of greenfield projects under development in recent years – some already up and running – Big Project ME speaks to Mohammed Retmi,

Smart cities

head of EMI Orange Applications for Business, and Wael Youseef, Digital Strategy and Technology Management consultant at Orange Business Services, to find out why being ‘smarter’ has become crucial for real estate developers to attract tenants and investors to a city or district.

Is there an appetite for largescale investment in smart city technology in the Middle East?

There is definitely a huge appetite for large-scale investment in smart cities. When it comes to brownfield projects, the

challenges are different because of the existing legacy infrastructure and the decision to make investments in smart cities transformation projects can take a long time to come to fruition.

With the current level of oil price and its impact on the economy, we may see more limited ambition around some big projects from a sizing and scoping point of view, but we do still see that all the GCC countries have major smart cities projects that are still in development and future projects that are being planned.

This situation presents a challenge to the financing model where governments and city officials initiate smart city projects with a clear vision, stated primary goals and specific objectives. The end result or the outcome cannot become the responsibility of citizens themselves; it is the primary responsibility of the city officials to prove the effectiveness and application of the improved services they are delivering.

As digitisation transforms service delivery in the private sector, citizens will reasonably expect similar improvements in public services. For example, the costs for many smart cities projects that deliver improved public safety, health and transportation cannot be charged directly to citizens, so usually the economic rate of return (ERR) to the city is high; however, the financial rate of return (FRR) is low.

There is no one single approach to financing smart projects that fits all needs, and there are many types of financing tools deployed, depending on the nature of the projects and their stakeholders, size, scale and risk levels. One of the solutions for such a challenge is to create

“The smart city concept is quite amorphous, which makes it difficult to measure.

Becoming a smart city is a process by which cities use smart technologies and innovative approaches to address the challenges they face, helping them to become more resilient, liveable, attractive and ‘happy’”

innovative business models based on partnerships between public and private sectors.

Traditionally, infrastructure projects have been financed directly from public funds.

There is, however, a need to better use limited public financial resources and change the model for the financing of new, ‘smarter’ infrastructures.

This requires a shift from the use of traditional tools such as public (e.g. municipal, regional, national) resources to contractual models of public private partnership (PPP) that are able to attract private capital.

There are essentially two categories of private investors: a) big investors able to sustain high financial pressures, and b) small investors able, by associating, to establish a critical mass sufficient to trigger processes of urban transformation anticipated in smart initiatives.

In order to achieve this, we need to have multiple stakeholders, such as promoter bodies which promote the implementation of smart initiatives (infrastructures, new services, etc), builder stakeholders, financial institutions to put the private investment in through PPP mechanisms, and guarantor bodies that will provide coverage of private investments made through PPP mechanisms.

This new business model of partnership between public and private sectors needs further work.

What are the challenges facing the adoption of smart cities technology in the region?

Across the region, city leaders are seeking to make decisions about ways in which the digital economy can help them deal with growth and the challenges

Smart Cities Report 2016 15

In association with:

Smart cities

of sustainability in their cities.

However, many of them may think that smart cities are about smart grids, smart data hubs, smart transport pods, smart mobility, smart anything.

Yes, smart cities need technology solutions, but technology is an enabler and not a driver of smart cities. Perhaps this reflects the fact that smart cities programmes are not only about technology but also the business decisions that enable the technology to deliver the benefits.

The challenge is not so much with smart cities technologies as with the impacts of the decisions made: the handling of privacy, the architecture of the data hub and the overall working of the smart cities technology model. Focusing on technology adoption, data privacy, security, maturity, interoperability are some of the challenges that could affect technology adoption.

While Dubai has been an early adopter of the technology, how does the rest of the region compare? Is the necessary infrastructure to support smart cities in place?

In fact, Dubai is leading the pack in terms of smartness.

After the formation of Smart Dubai Government, we have heard a lot recently about the ambitions of several smart district projects, such as TECOM, D3, Expo 2020 and DSOA. The existing government bodies are already ‘smart’ compared to other cities in the world, but there is still some work to do to get out of the silo mode and to get all the government services connected.

The rest of the major cities in the region are trying to catch up with some interesting projects coming soon, such as the Msheireb project in Doha

16 Smart Cities Report 2016

HoW cAN BIg DATA AND THE IoT IMproVE A cITy’S pErforMANcE AND EffIcIENcy? Big Data technology can

network, along with the flow

help smart city officials and

parameters, such as the number

operations teams to evolve their

of commuters boarding at any

current business models and

station. If we’re planning to

innovate in service delivery. Here

create a smart hub, we need

is a case study illustrating this:

to make sure that all the right things happen at the same place.

Planning:

People who come out of

A city is a geographically

a metro station find nearby

bounded space and contains

businesses, they find nearby

many different networks

facilities. Those facilities should

operating within the same

have a broadband network for

spatial domain, such as

people who need to use their

transportation networks, water

phones to stay connected.

and sewage networks, power

The same places need to have

transmission networks and IP

a water supply network, and

broadband networks. Some of

you have to plan it in such a way

these have multiple subtypes;

that all these networks exist

for example, transportation

within a certain distance of each

networks include the bus

other, so that all facilities can

network, the subway network,

be planned and coordinated.

the surface street network, the railway network and so on.

These networks form a

operations: IoT and Big Data platforms

physical infrastructure and

enable real-time analytics and

therefore can be represented

business insight that can lead

as graphs where each node

to operational intelligence.

has a geographic coordinate.

There are multiple ways IoT

But some of these networks

and Big Data technology

can also be thought of as a

can bring benefits.

commodity flow network. For

For example, in order to detect

example, people flow through

and predict congestion, real-

transportation networks,

time traffic reports can be

sewage material flows through

analysed. The results can be

a sewage network, and so on.

used to check if a traffic jam

For many of these networks,

will occur or not. Consequently,

a city planner tries to make

traffic signals can be adjusted

sure that they cover the entire

according to these results

city, that commute time is

in order to keep the flow of

optimised and that traffic

cars moving smoothly.

congestion is well managed.

Another example is building

To accomplish this, they need

management. Big Data

to create a network model.

tools are used to collect and

Urban planners develop city

analyse hundreds of data

traffic models. A traffic model

sets collected from building

uses both the geographic layout

management systems, to enable

and the connectivity of the

preventive maintenance.

Down Town or Smart Riyadh.

Each smart city project in the region has its own vision, strategy, goals and uniqueness.

We can’t simply compare one city to another one without having a basis for comparison, such as project scale, objectives and case studies, for example.

The smart city concept is quite amorphous, which makes it difficult to measure. Becoming a smart city is a process by which cities use smart technologies and innovative approaches to address the challenges they face, helping them to become more resilient, liveable, attractive and happy.

As the region copes with aging infrastructure that is constantly being replaced or undergoing maintenance, how can smart city technology help manage and maintain these vital systems?

One of the key applications that cities are looking to implement to become smarter is related to asset management. This application enables creating, modifying, maintaining and tracking asset-related information.

It creates an asset registry that provides all related information at a glance and helps tracking and reporting of warranties and insurance policies. For example, smart city operations teams can keep track of assets and an audit trail with records on the relocation of assets and sub assets, and transfers between locations.

When it comes to maintenance, the cities are looking more and more for preventive planned maintenance functionalities that predict the maintenance of assets, using scheduled tasks which can be adjusted to either time- or usagebased scenarios. Cities are now moving to predictive operations and maintenance, driven by operational intelligence.

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Urban IoT

integrating ioT into the urban environment There are numerous opportunities to change workplaces or public spaces using the Internet of Things.

The FuTure oF Things

Jason Lewis, managing director and founder, Limah Design Consultants, explains how the Internet of Things is changing public spaces to create positive user experiences 18 Smart Cities Report 2016

The Internet of Things (IoT) is in essence a future with every object, natural or man-made – our buildings, our homes, even our bodies – communicating data in real time. The challenge for developers of the future will be to harness this data in meaningful ways, to understand users’ needs, wants and desires, to tailor user experiences to user behaviours and ultimately keep users coming back.

With most of our time spent either in the workplace or public spaces, there are numerous opportunities to change these spaces through the IoT. The

data gathered will help us to ease movement and navigation, improve security, increase economic activity and create customised user experiences. Our challenge in our work at Limah, a design consulting firm focused on user experience and way finding, is to research, propose and implement meaningful ways to include the IoT and its applications. When we think of a public space from purely a user’s point of view, we can uncover numerous opportunities to grab their attention, attend to their needs and make a

Urban IoT

example in retail spaces, opportunities exist to guide drivers to open spaces or assign them at entry, thereby reducing the frustration and time of search for spots. Once parked, connect this information to your mobile, and not only can you remember where you parked, but order a carwash or a key drop, or have your shopping bags delivered to your car while you continue to shop. Your space information and car details will be connected to the mall’s security and management. Find yourself at the total opposite end of the mall and have your car delivered to the nearest entrance.

Navigating the Public Space

positive impact on their lives.

Our projects have provided such opportunities. Below are a few examples of how public spaces will be changed by the IoT, making them more useful, usable and enjoyable environments.

Smart parking

For the majority of us living in urban areas, we have nearly the daily problem of finding parking.

While future public transit is sure to improve and become more efficient, the car will remain the primary mode of transport.

While self-driving cars have a

place in our future, they will still need a place to park. Parking has always been a dreaded part of any trip into a dense urban neighbourhood. Smart parking apps already in development and use in some cities allow drivers to find parking quickly and efficiently rather than circling the block endlessly in search of an open spot. Not only will this reduce fuel consumption, it will of course alleviate much of the stress that goes along with the search.

Inside Car Parks

Once inside car parks, for

Most buildings and public spaces today rely on signage to guide users. While signage is likely to always have a place in identification of doors, spaces and places, the way in which we navigate to them will likely be improved upon greatly.

While mobile apps have begun to appear in public spaces, they are quite primitive at this stage, merely mobile versions of websites with branded messages.

Future mobile apps and devices will become necessary tools in navigation. Looking for the washrooms? Merely select an icon which points you in the right direction. Have a question? Select the information icon and be connected to customer service instantly.

As GPS technology becomes more precise across wireless in buildings, exact locations can be found even across multi-storey buildings, again alleviating stress and frustration. These devices and apps can cover all of the principles of way finding: to orient, to direct, to inform, to welcome, to create a positive experience.

“For developers, access to user data and movements will be invaluable.

Tracking movement of all users within a space will give insight into opportunities for positioning of retail outlets and promotional stands, and finding ways to push users to areas less travelled�

Smart Cities Report 2016 19

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Urban IoT

User Experience in the Public Space

The buildings of today and the future, to be successful, will go beyond form and materials. To be successful, they will need to make personal connections to the user. To make the user feel connected to the space, they will need to become part of the environment and make an impact on it. Developers will be able to gain valuable insights into users based on their behaviour.

Again taking retail spaces as an example, the IoT will provide retailers with opportunities to track purchases, demographics and historical data on every user.

This data being tracked in real time across a mall environment would allow retailers to target specific customers to encourage repeat business. How about a sale on shirts similar to what you bought last time specific only to you, or your favourite

“As GPS technology becomes more precise across wireless in buildings, exact locations can be found even across multi-storey buildings, alleviating stress”

Directed parking In retail spaces, customers can be guided to free parking spaces or assigned a particular spot using the IoT.

20 Smart Cities Report 2016

café lures you back with a free coffee, knowing that you are in the neighbourhood? We have seen it in the movies, but soon technology will allow advertising across digital platforms to change based on proximity demographics, making adverting more effective. No more elevator music – when you enter a lift, it will play music from your preferred genre and artists.

With future wearable devices monitoring your body’s critical data, these can alert you to even what kind of food, macronutrients or hydration would be best for you at this moment, and it just so happens a nearby restaurant has that on the menu.

For developers, access to user data and movements will be invaluable. Tracking movement of all users within a space will give insight into opportunities for positioning of retail outlets and

promotional stands, and finding ways to push users to areas less travelled. In case of emergency, knowing the total number of users and their exact locations could be life-saving in natural disasters or security threats.

While much of this technology exists, it will take more time for it to become cost-effective and for developers to be able to collect and analyse the data effectively. Further, for the public to embrace these technologies, security and privacy of personal data will need to be ensured.

Ultimately, the IoT in the public space will provide two critical pieces of information: data on every user in the space, and information on ways to improve those users’ experiences to become more positive, making them want to return and tell others of their positive experience.

thalesgroup.com/smartcity

Solutions for the smart city Wherever safety and security matter, we deliver ATTRACTING INWARD INVESTMENT Strong, well-run, infrastructure is vital to maintaining city attractiveness and competitiveness

HOSTING LARGE EVENTS Enhance a city’s cultural reputation with co-ordinated multiple agency and authority support

MASTERING SUSTAINABLE GROWTH Deliver greater transport capacity while increasing efficiency and reducing pollution

DRIVING INCREASING MOBILITY Integrate passenger information systems enabling passengers to plan, book and travel on public transport with a single ticket SECURING CITIES Enhance citizen quality of life with co-ordinated incident prevention, detection and response

Millions of critical decisions are made every day to protect the people and infrastructure of major cities. Through more services, greater efficiency and a focus on sustainable development, the vision of governments and public authorities is to turn these cities into smart cities. Thales is at the heart of this. By providing greater integration, interconnectivity, and leveraging existing infrastructure, our powerful management systems give decision makers the information and control they need to make more effective responses in critical environments. Every moment of every day, wherever safety and security are critical, Thales delivers.

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Smart transportation

22 Smart Cities Report 2016

Smart transportation

Transforming The neTworks

Big Project ME speaks to the experts to find out what lies ahead for the GCC as it implements smart technology solutions across its transport networks

i

n this age of smartphones, smart watches and smart homes, we’ve seen how technology can have a positive impact on the way we organise our lives, manage our time and even improve our quality of life. Technology has now become ubiquitous, and an entire generation is comfortable with using computing, mobile devices and intuitive systems to live, work and play in urban environments.

With the Middle East entering the age of smart cities, one of the major benefactors of this technology-positive mind-set will be the region’s public transport networks and systems. Smart transportation is an essential element of a smart city, as it helps manage people flow, traffic congestion and even future planning, and allows planners to study trends and understand patterns through the city’s population.

With smart mobility solutions being implemented in the GCC’s

transport networks, Christian Grégoire, vice president – Technical and Strategy for Thales – Ground Transportation Systems GBU, says the region is fast acquiring a reputation for far-sighted thinking.

“The region is becoming known for its foresight, and this is no better demonstrated than with the solutions to transport networks,” he tells Big Project ME. “It is worth noting that the region is heavily urbanised compared to other regions around the world, and as we have seen from cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, urbanisation drives smart technology.”

Of course, many GCC cities already having modern transport infrastructure makes it easier to implement city-wide initiatives, Grégoire adds. In Europe and the US, the existence of decades-old infrastructure means refurbishment of old networks can be a challenge.

“If we consider the Lusail LRT and Doha Metro ongoing projects, the flagship Dubai driverless metro, the Makkah metro and the Dubai Route 2020 project as examples of the successful introduction of smart mobility solutions, we have good reason to be optimistic for future networks,” he says. “It is

“Traffic and congestion if not handled properly can diminish major events like the Expo or the World Cup. ITS will play a big role in the movement of people, whether in cars, public transport or walking. The use of ITS, proper forecasting and modelling will be key to helping move the millions of visitors during these events”

indicative that on Forbes’ most recent ranking of the world’s smartest cities, Abu Dhabi has risen up the list again, and Dubai is ranked number three overall in the public management category.”

Martin Smith, Mouchel Middle East’s ITS technical director, points out that smart transport systems have been around for quite some time, explaining that they were just called something else.

“It depends on the understanding of what ‘smart’ is, as many transport systems have been smart for some time. Smart is the current buzz word and is taking over the long established Intelligent Transport Systems badge that has been around for decades. ‘Intelligent’ and ‘smart’ are interchangeable terms; however, the current clever part is the added value of using multiple sensor inputs, be it in the home, mobile phone, industry and transport, to generate a rich source of data that can be fused and mined. The smart trend is how this data is analysed and disseminated, or used for improving the quality of life whilst contributing to a sustainable planet.”

Greg Jasmin, principal and managing director at Syska Hennessy Group MENA, adds that data collected from public Smart Cities Report 2016 23

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Smart transportation

transport systems like Dubai Metro and Dubai Tram can have a much wider impact than might originally be thought.

“As a New Yorker, I’ve always appreciated good mass transportation systems and have always missed it when it wasn’t available in the cities I’ve lived in,” he says. “We can see the impact of the Dubai Metro or Tram system by how widely used it is. The fact that items like weather data, passenger count info or other traffic data can be transmitted, and impact the schedules of these modes of transportation to help drive efficiencies and reduction in the number of cars on the road, is impactful.”

“Dubai, I think, still leads the region in adaptation and transformation with ITS. But I do foresee in the near future Doha and potentially Riyadh catching up a bit. Everything from road enforcement cameras, electrical toll collection and other sensing technologies have made their way to the region to good effect.”

This willingness to adopt new technology is certainly

evident when it comes to regional transport networks. Big data is one particular technology getting a lot of traction in the GCC, Grégoire says.

“The region is firmly embracing the use of big data and how it will shape our future transport networks. At Thales, we are using big data and analytics in public transport, with smart cards helping us understand traffic flows and demand cycles for the provision of journey mapping across our cities.

“We see this, and connectivity through IOT, as paramount to how we understand passenger behaviour. We use it in our planning of services and keeping our customers informed of what is happening on the network.

It is, however, a necessity to protect the data being created.

“Thales provides security of data from cryptology to penetration testing, through to risk analysis, security audits, design of security architectures and rapid response in a crisis situation.

Thales is indeed among the few companies investing significantly

in urban science, drawing on the expertise of business, academic and government stakeholders,” Grégoire asserts, adding that there is a natural progression from driverless metro technology to driverless cars, which is how Thales is pushing automation as part of the future of the world’s transport networks.

“The introduction of block-chain technology will also likely feature in regional transport networks across the region,” he adds.

“The main transformation has been in metro and limited heavy rail. Although not transformed in itself, other than natural development, the introduction of alternative modes of transport does provide a step change,” says Martin Smith, highlighting the fact that the Middle East has always adopted traditional highway technologies to provide visual coverage of network conditions, with dynamic message signs to display limited driver information.

“The adoption of smart apps that assist the users in their travel or payment services are also being making the world Cup a succes ITS will play a big role in events like the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

24 Smart Cities Report 2016

developed and deployed across all services, not just transportation, and in some locations this is world-class,” he continues.

With global events like Expo 2020 and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on the horizon, these smart apps are likely to be crucial in managing the high volumes of passenger traffic these events will generate. All three experts agree that smart, integrated technology will play a crucial role in ensuring their success.

“Traffic and congestion if not handled properly can diminish major events like the Expo or the World Cup. ITS will play a big role in the movement of people, whether in cars, public transport or walking. The use of ITS, proper forecasting and modelling will be key to helping move the millions of visitors during these events,” says Jasmin.

Although Smith is not quite as bullish, he does agree that ITS could have a major, albeit temporary, role to play for these events.

“This could be the subject of a book and is difficult to answer simply! ITS has morphed into many areas with grey boundaries such as safety and security.

However, even if deployed temporarily, it has a role to play, such as traffic management, multimodal collective transport, integration of transport networks, command and control, information dissemination services, traditional strategic messaging – plus direct to appropriate end users via mobile apps.

“An example would be to monitor the waiting passenger demand at a metro station and reschedule trains or deploy additional taxis. ITS and network management go hand in hand, although decision-makers should not forget other interventions also contribute, such as making temporary changes to the network.

Smart transportation

“Effective – and that means harmonised – command and control is a must. Decisions need to be made quickly, and an institutional mechanism needs to be in place to allow this. ITS and its data provide the decision support tools for effective management. A set of scenarios can be developed to allow a level of autonomy, with the final decisions made by the collective experienced operators,” he asserts.

With sustainability and energy efficiency high on the region’s agenda, smart cities in the GCC are tasked with being green.

Jasmin explains that whether the goal is emission reduction or reducing the number of cars on the road, both can be achieved through a combination of strategies involving ITS. “We think of some of the impacts, like increased productivity by reducing travel time or congestion reduction, signal optimisation, people management through RFID. All of this makes for a more sustainable, manageable and liveable urban environment,” he says.

Smith agrees, pointing out that transport systems need to have a positive effect on a city’s environmental, social and economic metrics in order for it to be called a sustainable city.

“The term ITS is now far more far-reaching than it used to be, it encompasses many different aspects and is part of a set of tools that when fully integrated and seamlessly connected can contribute to a more sustainable city. The smart aspects are currently being driven by cloud computing and the development of user-friendly apps. As an example, for highways it’s proven that smoother traffic flows produce less emissions, provide savings in journey times, reduce congestion and hence stress, whilst providing economic benefits.

working together Christian Grégoire says that in order to fully achieve an integrated smart city, it is essential for all parties to work in conjunction.

“If we consider the Lusail LRT and Doha Metro ongoing projects, the flagship Dubai driverless metro, the Makkah metro and the Dubai Route 2020 project as examples of the successful introduction of smart mobility solutions, we have good reason to be optimistic for future networks”

“A decision not to travel in the first place based upon realtime events will also provide the same benefits. It’s important that timely, targeted and appropriate information is delivered to the right place at the right time.

One saying that I use often is ‘data rich but information poor’ – however, smart cities are addressing this,” Smith asserts.

While the outlook for smart cities is certainly rosy, there remain a few key issues –bottlenecks – that need to be resolved before a truly smart future can be achieved, both Grégoire and Smith explain.

“We have learned the significance of creating a clear strategy which will enable any potential problems to be accounted for before they complicate the solution. To fully achieve an integrated smart city offering, it is essential all parties work in conjunction, and on occasion this is difficult due to the scale of the operation,” Grégoire says.

“Nevertheless, despite these obstacles, as well as constraints of working in silos, we always find a way to overcome any potential barriers with an adaptive system designed to readjust and remodel as the situation demands. Another

topic is the openness of data – despite the benefits it will bring in the long term – which must be fully analysed. We must ensure the secure access to this data.”

Smith chimes in, focusing on the rapid evolution of technology in the transport solutions sphere. Technology in the research and development phase just a few years ago is now commercially available.

“Technology barriers are constantly evolving and being addressed, with interoperability being a key factor. The main challenges, akin to the formation and reshaping of sand dunes, are constantly shifting patterns and formations driven by external influence.

“Regarding the term ‘innovation’, which is widely used, Harvard Business School says: ‘We define Innovation broadly, encompassing not just brilliant new products but also distinctive operating practices, managerial tactics, and even business strategies.’ Innovation within governments and institutions, practices and structure are key to successive roll-out.

“Changes are being made and things are improving, as it’s widely recognised as an important catalyst to a happy, successful and sustainable city; however, the pace of appropriate changes and buy-ins from all concerned is a challenge to transport solutions roll-out.

“Legislation can also be a barrier, either it’s inappropriate or there’s a lack of it for ITS. This is especially evident in enforcement and cross-border challenges.

“Also, far too often ITS is seen as a sacrificial element when budgets are constrained, and the true value isn’t realised in the Middle East as it’s an aid to making better use of what’s existing,” he concludes.

Smart Cities Report 2016 25

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Comment

Reducing energy usage Increasing the use of public transport in a city can help reduce its overall energy usage and help meet sustainability goals.

26 Smart Cities Report 2016

Comment

PeRsonal technology holds the futuRe of integRated, seamless tRansPoRt Joerg Scheifler, Senior Executive Vice President Mobility, Siemens Middle East, examines the key stakeholders of a modern transport network to show how the personal mobility companion can transform regional mobility As countries across the Middle East continue to build increasingly smart cities, the importance of modern, innovative transport networks cannot be overestimated. Rapid population increase, tourism and the abundance of high-profile international events highlight the region’s transportation challenges.

Public transport systems around the world often do not meet demand with respect to capacity, comfort or safety, which means people continue to rely on their cars to get around.

The result: congestion, not to mention high levels of pollution.

Yet even in cities with functioning public transport networks, people still continue to use their cars. One reason is that there is usually little integration of the different transport mediums, as well as a lack of corresponding information on location or in real time. That means users of

public transport have to plan their journeys carefully, for example manually altering a plan if a train or bus isn’t operating according to schedule.

Our view at Siemens is that not only are hardware solutions important, such as our Hesan Alkhaleej inter-city train concept, which incorporates proven technology from the Siemens Mobility portfolio – the combination of hardware and software technology is at the core of addressing modern transport challenges. Specifically, stakeholders will benefit from a personal mobility companion on travellers’ smartphones.

At Siemens, we have studied the conditions and stakeholders that need to be addressed in order to come up with an ideal transportation system. Critical to the Siemens vision of a personal mobility companion is understanding the requirements

“Smartphones and apps have developed to such an extent that it is possible to be guided throughout the entire journey with a smartphone serving as a personal mobility companion”

Smart Cities Report 2016 27

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Comment

of primary stakeholders, specifically travellers, operators and urban authorities.

Travellers

Travellers want the same degree of convenience as when they take their car, without traffic congestion. In many cities, even those that have a functioning public transport system, cars and taxis are the dominant mode of transport for getting around. Blocked roads become the norm. Slowly, though, the mind-set is changing. For the younger generation, ‘sharing’ transport, like car and bike sharing, is enjoying widespread acceptance, and car ownership is losing its appeal. Instead,

“Public transport can also help cities to lower energy usage and meet sustainability goals, which are particularly important to the Middle East”

modern city Having modern, IT-based mobility solutions available to residents and visitors supports the image of an innovative and attractive city.

28 Smart Cities Report 2016

flexibility is becoming more and more important, namely the flexibility to take the mode of transport that best suits one’s current transportation needs.

Smartphones and apps have developed to such an extent that it is possible to be guided throughout the entire journey with a smartphone serving as a personal mobility companion.

Operators

For their part, operators are interested in providing a convenient journey to attract and retain passengers and increase revenue. Against this background, many operators are making significant investments in their capacities and networks.

It is not uncommon for operators to invest in different types of transport to better meet passenger needs and provide transport from door to door.

This model is increasingly attractive in the Middle East due to the particular climate challenges in the form of extreme summer heat.

To maximise revenues, operators are looking at new models, such as transportoriented development (TOD) – developments that maximise mixed-use commercial and residential areas with easy access to a transit station or stop.

Transit operators stand to benefit from renting out commercial and residential space in TODs,

Comment

Regional appetite There is a regional appetite for mobility technology that places an emphasis on resource efficiency.

and in Dubai there is already an example of the potential of this concept, at Union Station on the emirate’s metro.

An overall aim for operators is providing an attractive customer experience, and ease of use is one major aspect. Therefore, operators are increasingly offering integrated ticketing, making it easy and convenient for travellers to combine various transport mediums.

In doing so, they are making a big contribution to releasing pressure on transport systems.

Urban authorities

Governments and administrative bodies are in global competition for talent, tourists and economic development. Therefore, cities and regions have to provide an excellent quality of life to be a relevant destination and place to live. This translates into jobs, a healthy environment and chances for social interaction.

Efficient transport is one important tool to support this target. Modern, IT-based mobility solutions support

the image of innovative and attractive cities.

Public transport can also help cities to lower energy usage and meet sustainability goals, which are particularly important to the Middle East.

There is regional appetite for mobility technology that places emphasis on resource efficiency, and the Qatar Foundation Tram System, built by Siemens, is a good example. Currently under construction, it will be the most energy efficient rail system in the Middle East, not only addressing the evolving requirements for transport solutions in Qatar, but also intentionally minimising environmental impact.

The modern personal mobility companion proactively offers all the necessary information to conduct a journey smoothly for each situation and location.

It helps navigate the user to the final destination using all transportation modes and operators. Furthermore, the companion enables ticketless payment and helps with transactions such as booking

“For urban authorities, an excellent passenger journey experience becomes a way to also push economic development and quality of life forward, while at the same time reducing the burden on the environment�

a shared car or reserving a parking space. Services for disabled people or those requiring special assistance are also part of the offering.

At the same time, the personal mobility companion also has a positive impact on operator revenue by offering a more attractive traveller journey, which in turn draws more travellers and increases their willingness to pay for services that enhance their experience even more. For urban authorities, an excellent passenger journey experience becomes a way to also push economic development and quality of life forward, while at the same time reducing the burden on the environment.

A focus on technology is helping to bring a ubiquitous, modern transport system into being, but there is still more to be done, and that vision of seamless transportation can only be achieved by ensuring that digitisation and collaboration are central tenets of a more mobile future.

Smart Cities Report 2016 29

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Smart vehicles

Akin Adamson

autonomous is the answer

Akin Adamson, director – Middle East for TRL, examines the role of automated vehicles in delivering smart cities It is well-known that cities today are constantly growing in terms of both infrastructure and population. In fact, the United Arab Emirates Economic Forecast 2016-2020, a report prepared by the UAE Ministerial Service Council, says the country’s population is expected to reach 10.4 million by 2020, a 1.14 million increase compared to its earlier forecasts for the third quarter of 2016. In line with this, more infrastructure should be developed, along with other essential services to meet the demands placed on it.

With existing transport systems unlikely either to cope with growing demand or meet 30 Smart Cities Report 2016

targets for air quality, accessibility and inclusion, cities across the world are racing to become smarter, embracing digital, information and communication technologies to provide better services, opportunities and quality of life for residents.

One technology innovation in particular that has the potential to deliver increases in the range and capacity of mobility services for city dwellers over the next twenty years is automated vehicles.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, recently

Just the beginning The changes in urban mobility associated with automated vehicles are only just beginning, with individual vehicular ownership likely to diminish and integrated, multimodal transport likely to become more popular.

launched the Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy, an initiative that aims to transform 25% of total transportation in Dubai to autonomous mode by 2030, saving $5.98 billion annually. The emirate is leading the cities of the world in taking that big leap towards adopting artificial intelligence to serve humanity and establish a global model of the city of the future. The move complements its efforts to become the world’s largest laboratory for technology and research and development (R&D). Today we put forward clear and precise goals for the Dubai Autonomous

Transportation Strategy, making it one of the main pillars to achieve a sustainable economy for the emirate.

The role of Automated Vehicles (AVs)

Automated vehicles have the potential to bring a number of benefits to people, roads and cities. First, improved safety – 1.25 million people die each year on the roads and in over 90% of road collisions, human error is a contributory factor.

Second, efficiency of time – the ability to remain connected and productive on the move means people can work, relax

Smart vehicles

“Automated vehicles can play a very useful role in collecting infrastructure data, reporting to authorities on potholes, degradation of line markings, failed streetlights and missing road-studs, thereby enabling earlier, better targeted and ultimately more efficient maintenance”

or socialise while travelling, enhancing the travel experience.

Third, automated vehicles support independent mobility for older and disabled travellers, leading to better economic, health and social outcomes.

Finally, flexibility – the absence of a driver means different shapes, sizes and numbers of vehicles can be used to suit the mobility task at hand, improving the efficiency of journeys.

Learning by example

To start introducing automated vehicles into cities, TRL is leading the GATEway project, an eight million euro research project to

investigate the use of autonomous vehicles in an urban environment.

Working alongside a consortium of partners with funding from Innovate UK, the project will test fully driverless, zero-emission vehicles for the movement of passengers and goods in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in London. Rather than being technology-focused, we’ll be working to understand how public, the media and industry learn to trust and accept the use of these vehicles in our cities.

Beyond their role as transportation devices, the vehicles we use may play an intriguing further role in the

context of a smart city. Since they will regularly tour the city streets equipped with an array of cameras and sensors, they can play a very useful role in collecting infrastructure data, reporting to authorities on potholes, degradation of line markings, failed streetlights and missing road-studs, thereby enabling earlier, better targeted and ultimately more efficient maintenance.

Future Implications

The changes in urban mobility associated with automated vehicles are only just beginning.

As we move further along

this journey, it’s likely that individual vehicle ownership will become less attractive and integrated multimodal transport options including car or cycle sharing more appealing for city tourists. Automated vehicles will increasingly provide smart new travel options, and their zero-emission powertrains will contribute to decarbonisation of transport (at the point of delivery), improving air quality with substantial associated health benefits.

Looking beyond the introduction of automated vehicles, the move towards a connected and automated transport ecosystem will also bring a wealth of new opportunities for data analysis and sharing. Rather than being viewed in silos, data in areas such as asset management, safety, air quality, traffic volume and congestion can be analysed holistically, providing organisations such as road operators, insurers and local councils with a better understanding of movement throughout the city and any impact on the environment.

Finally, as automation of vehicles develops, it is vital that we think beyond the automation of existing vehicle types and step back to consider how this technology can enable radical improvements in the way we move people, goods and services, potentially using new vehicle types and new forms of connectivity, involving new interactions between people, vehicles and infrastructure, and new insights achieved through data analytics. Developments in automation are proceeding rapidly; with appropriate research and thoughtful planning, smart cities of the future look set to reap the benefits in the years to come.

Smart Cities Report 2016 31

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‘Smart CitieS’ offiCial theme for middle eaSt eleCtriCity 2017 Middle East Electricity, one of the world’s leading power exhibitions, has announced its theme for the 2017 edition. Alongside Dubai Municipality and the Environmental Council for Arab Towns, who are Strategic Partners for the event, the organisers will be creating a series of new features, conferences and activations, all focusing on the future of Smart Cities and the innovations set to lead the way both locally and internationally in the coming decade.

The inaugural half-day ‘Energising the Smart City’ Conference on 15 February will feature sessions on how best to innovate urban energy solutions.

Municipal leaders, electricity solution providers and research communities have all been invited to take part, to discuss how best to reach a sustainable energy mix that adequately supports rising energy demands.

The ‘Energising the Smart City’ Conference will explore:

32 Smart Cities Report 2016

How to better manage the energy cities have Making disparate electricity systems interoperable Installing energy management systems strategically throughout a city Investing in smart meters and grids, and then ensuring an operational plan exists How to improve the energy products cities use Why energy storage is getting so much attention, but little commercial action locally The difference alternative materials and manufacturing processes could make for users What visionary (impractical) projects such as Solar Impulse can teach energy investors How to make cities 100% renewable Why cities worldwide are defining this goal Is regulation the answer, or will market forces provide

longer-term solutions?

After roofs are covered in solar panels and grids are smart, what next?

“We believe that putting an increased onus on Smart Cities will transcend all our new features and content offerings. As the region’s leading platform for deliberation and growth for the international power community, our goal is to assist the Dubai Municipality in reaching their objectives set by the government on making Dubai a fully integrated Smart City,” said Anita Mathews, Group Director – Informa Industrial Group.

To further streamline visitor experience, another new feature will be the Smart Cities Zone.

Located in Zabeel hall 3, this dedicated area will feature smart, innovative products and solutions from leading suppliers that have specific applications in a Smart City, including automation and energy efficiency.

Also taking place, for the fourth year running, will be the Future Generation Competition.

Supported by Masdar Institute, students from universities across the UAE will be given a platform to showcase their projects/technologies under the theme of Smart Cities. The shortlisted entries will have the opportunity to present their projects to the public, as well as a panel of judges including an expert from Masdar Institute, with two separate awards up for grabs. The Judges’ Award will be handed out during the official MEE Awards Night on day two of the event, and the People’s Choice Award will be presented towards the end of day three.

Middle East Electricity 2017 will take place from February 14-16 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

For more information, please visit www.middleeastelectricity.com

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Last word

Happy Parking Sam Alawiye, CEO of GreenParking, explains how intelligent parking and guidance technology can contribute towards making Dubai a smarter, more energy efficient and, ultimately, happier city With more than 60% of the world’s population expected to live in cities by 2050, it is no wonder the smart city industry is projected to be a $400 billion market by 2020. Dubai is at the forefront of this movement with the Smart Dubai initiative, anchored in the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, that aims to make Dubai the happiest city on earth.

There are different definitions of smart city, but the basic principles are always the same: sensors placed around the city capture data and send it to information systems that analyse the findings and help improve the quality of life, efficiency of urban operation, and services or energy consumption through highly specialised software. This is usually done through government initiatives, with the active participation of the private sector. In order to evaluate and measure how

facilities and services in Dubai contribute to the vision of Smart Dubai, the Index Wheel was developed in collaboration with the International Telecommunications Union and the Dubai Statistic Centre. The Index Wheel is split into six areas that are crucial to making Dubai a smart city. One of these areas is Smart Mobility and Infrastructure, transport infrastructure being one of the key performance indicators to be monitored.

Another one is Smart Environment, with energy, CO2 emissions and air quality paramount indicators. These specific areas are exactly what GreenParking is working on in all of its projects.

One way to improve transport infrastructure is to make sure that as soon as a driver has reached their destination, they easily find a parking spot. Indeed, data shows that 30% of all traffic

34 Smart Cities Report 2016

congestion in cities is the result of drivers looking for a parking space, according to the Intelligent Transportation Society of America. This can be remedied with clear and visible signage. That is why, when GreenParking was appointed to reorganise and operate three indoor car parks in JBR, they decided to put up large and noticeable signs both next to the entrance of the car parks

“Data shows that 30% of all traffic congestion in cities is the result of drivers looking for a parking space”

and on the Marina side of the JBR area so that visitors can quickly identify parking areas.

The number of available parking spaces is also clearly mentioned, so that if the parking is full, CO2 emissions are reduced as drivers directly go to the next available parking area. This, in turn, improves air quality.

GreenParking is able to notify the public of the number of parking spaces available thanks to sensors installed in their smart Car Park Management System.

GreenParking’s smart Car Park Management System is flexible and can be adapted to fit all car park needs. The dedicated software analyses the data it receives through sensors placed inside the car park and can automatically dim lights in unused areas of the car park and alert operators when ParkChips should be refilled at the entrance gates. And since it keeps

track of the number of cars parking every day, it is easy to understand which are the peak times for parking and whether extra parking should be made available.

GreenParking is constantly looking to introduce new technologies every year, always focused on minimising the impact of car parks on the environment by saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions, thereby improving air quality.

The first innovation was the Parking Guidance System. Fully integrated in the Car Park Management System, the Parking Guidance System indicates where a parking space is available, so drivers do not have to cruise around looking for an empty parking space, reducing both CO2 emissions and user frustration, which helps the environment and contributes to making Dubai a happier and smarter city.

GEZE Middle East FZE | P.O. Box 17903 | Dubai | UAE | Tel.: 04-8833-112 | Fax: -240 | E-mail: gezeme@geze.com

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