Urenio Watch Watch: Intelligent / Smart Cities Solutions

NESTA Prediction for 2019: The rise of the ‘˜City Brain’

NESTA City BrainNESTA just published its annual predictions for 2019. One of them refers to one of the global races which might be on to build ‘˜City Brains’ . According the post the concept of a “smart city’ has been around for several decades, often associated with hype, grandiose failures, and an overemphasis on hardware rather than people. NESTA points out that various technologies are now coming of age which bring the vision of a smart city closer to fruition. China is described to be in the forefront, investing heavily in sensors and infrastructures, and its ET City Brain project shows just how far the country’ s thinking has progressed. Continue reading

How and when e-bikes can help Smart Cities

Battery powered e-bikes and e-scooters have been becoming increasingly popular worldwide, from Tel Aviv to Los Angeles, and major companies like Ford, GM and Uber and jumping on the trend. Smart Cities, eager to become cleaner, reduce traffic, and improve urban life, can find some potential in such vehicles, but their smart and efficient use depends on several factors.

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The future of waste management in smart and sustainable cities

wasteThe article “The future of waste management in smart and sustainable cities: A review and concept paper” was recently published in the journal   of Waste Management. It builds on an integrative review of the literature, including IoT-enabled waste management practices. This study offers insights into the potential of smart cities and connected communities in facilitating waste management efforts.   Continue reading

Grenoble offers Solutions for the Privacy of Smart City Data

Since a crucial part of Smart City technologies and solutions is based on the collection and interpretation of vast amounts of data, achieving this while protecting data privacy, which is an increasing concern, has become a major challenge.

The historical city of Grenoble, in southeastern France, is offering a potential solution.

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Blockchain may offer the breakthrough Smart Cities need

With the technological leaps of recent years, the evolution of the smart city from limited solutions to “truly’ smart cities that streamline or automate all of the challenges of urban life is now possible. The only remaining obstacle are concerns about data security and privacy. Blockchain can provide a solution to this, and offer the breakthrough which smart cities need to realize their potential.

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Launch of the NEWBITS Network Platform – An online collaboration tool for ITS services

Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) have a great potential for making passenger and freight transport greener and more efficient. Nevertheless, the introduction of ITS applications to the market remains a major challenge. Collaboration of different stakeholders is thereby key for success. Continue reading

Smart Engagement: Leveraging Technology for a More Inclusive Sydney

smart_engagementThe Committee for Sydney has published a new report entitled Smart Engagement: Leveraging Technology for a More Inclusive Sydney. This report focuses on one of the core building blocks of successful smart cities ‘“ effective citizen engagement. It also provides a diverse range of case studies in how smart engagement can work in Sydney, from using traditional methods to emerging, cutting-edge technology like augmented reality (AR) technologies. Continue reading