Orla Huq

• Smart Cities rely on collaboration between private, public entities and individuals sharing data using smart phones and smart meters, networks of sensors and wifi placed throughout the cities. They leverage technology to serve users to make cities more livable and alive………….
• Cities share the apps and strategies with each other through great networks like C40 and smart city expo, saving resources and finding the best solutions to similar problems.
• Each City creates an urban app. that everyone uses to share data: public and private enterprise and individuals: using smartphone or computer

What the URBAN APP portal can do for you:

Transportation:

• bike share information so you know real time where bikes are and how to book one

 

• driverless transportation information that manages fleets of driverless electric cars

 

• electric buses, trains and trams that will tell you when they are arriving to your location in realtime

 

• parking sensors which direct you directly to a vacant space

• charging station locations that take just 10 min to charge your EV car

• electric vehicle borrowing system

• the data from your use of the transportation apps in your phone is accessible to transportation policy makers so that they can plan ahead to get you where you want to go

 

• Red light monitors evaluate traffic density real time and adjust accordingly for smooth traffic flow

• license plate readers scan for stolen cars

• real time traffic planning using big data, you will know traffic jams before they occur, and get congestion alerts on your phone

 

• automatic first responder calls to accidents, directed to location by least congested route

 

• street lights are wifi and sensor enabled to scan phones for data so junctions and stoplights are planned by intensity of actual use

• event management coordinated with public transportation to anticipate larger loads or real time cancellations and notify you of delays

Waste:

• Trash cans that notify the waste collector how full they are to influence route and save energy:

• Sensors and smartphones will be able to track materials and assets, letting people know when they are not being used, about to break, or where they are

• It’s “pay as you throw” – meaning the more you recycle, the lower your monthly bill

 

• all products are designed to be 100% recyclable creating a circular economy with no waste in manufacturing

 

Building Planning:

• use 3D models of entire cities to see the impact of new buildings at the planning and zoning stage

• digital building and zoning codes in google earth so you can quickly review if construction costs and design are realistic for a building

 

Building efficiency Data:

• NEW carbon positive buildings and net zero buildings, green roofs, green walls, thermal mass and triple pane windows and doors occupancy sensors, light dimmers and smart thermostats #LEED

The one and only Double leed platinum academy of sciences SF above: For More info on its great green technology see: Architecture Hacker Guide to Great Green Museums

 

• SMALLER automatized living spaces have “robot walls” that can be moved to create different spaces for different needs

 

 

• apps show first responders exactly the current layout of the building and location of fire, where hydrants are and sprinklers

 

 

 

• Smart buildings use sensors, meters, systems and software for lighting, energy, water, HVAC, communications, video monitoring, intrusion detection, elevator monitoring and fire safety leading to better decisions about managing resources

 

• improving occupant health: Smart buildings monitor air conditions inside

 

• real time remote monitoring and control of entire portfolios of buildings for energy savings

 

• building RENOVATIONS that create close to net zero buildings installation of new high efficiency heat pumps and heat exchangers, solar and wind power modifications

• exact databases of all the components of a building and their estimated life for efficient maintenance

• phones and drones can scan building areas and make 3d models automatically of buildings that are to be renovated

 

 

• automated integrated windows that act as both solar panels and shades, responding automatically to the sun, extra energy gets uploaded to the district grid

 

• solar shades that respond to the movement of the sun

 

 

• lighting that is automatically switched on and off by occupancy sensor

• sensors in apartments to detect a rise in the levels of mold and moisture before they damage the building

Health data:

• apps that tell paramedics who respond to an unconscious person what meds they are on and what conditions they have so they can be treated effectively on route to the hospital

  Architecture Hacker thanks Vancouver fire and paramedic training program for image and for saving lives everyday

• apps that notify asthma sufferers of real time air pollution in whatever area of the city they are in

 

Climate and weather data crunchers:

• apps that tell city officials when a weather event is likely to happen and what impacts it will have to various areas of the city, like flooding, so they can clear the carparks that double as planned flood water retention areas to prevent flooding

 

Energy:

Transition to renewable energy for cities to increase their resilience and sustainability

• intelligent sustainable district heating/cooling systems, integrated solar systems and geothermal networks, integrated heat harvesting from waste heat generated by say, a lot of people at a train station

• Paris currently harvests cooling from the Seine to service districts and Stockholm heats local adjacent office buildings from the heat generated by people in a large train station

 

• buildings will generate their own electricity from renewable sources, using the excess space in walls, roofs and even windows for solar and wind generation, excess is loaded to the smart grid, utilities talk directly to building load control switches to turn equipment off if the grid is under stress

• data analytics achieve the ultimate goal of a smart building, to have everything running as smoothly and efficiently as possible

• energy-generating entities will be connected through a grid to contribute to the supply stability of the whole region. Smart sensors will monitor the condition anticipating failures before they happen

   

  

• energy uploads to grid come from public transportation, ev cars, building solar panels, wind turbines

• transition from fossil fuel to 100 percent renewable. Smart grid will allow the EV car battery to store energy for the grid when plugged in

• smart and connected lamp posts providing street lighting only when required by sensors tracking activity to save energy and that can measure particle concentrations in the air, it can upload to the grid and to apps that alert public of air quality

• integration of entire energy structure to smart thermal grids will allow a reliable and low cost way of heating and cooling districts using waste heat from industry and renewable energies

• monitoring energy use in buildings and sharing the data with the public encourages occupants to conserve and results in a 10 per cent reductionin-home display units that provide electricity and water usage information, costs and control to consumers as well as thermal storage units, electric vehicle smart charging, demand response and distribution automation

• sensors and monitors can report on the actual condition of equipment so it can be serviced

City Infrastructure

• all utility agencies share data city wide and create an integrated management system, they share data management analysis costs and connectivity costs (no redundancies) for example: excavations can be coordinated, costs shared

• improvements in infrastructure coordinated between agencies and planned effectively. Reducing costs by re-using software between depts. computer simulations to plan cross-departmental planning and design to save money and resources

• infrastructure is renovated or built with sensors and data retrieval monitoring entire system in real time to that cities can track revenue assurance and theft detection, leak detection, high impedance detection and other safety features, outage detection and analysis. roads, power poles, transformers, pumps and so on – are equipped with sensors and instrumentation that report their condition

• encourage the private sector to invest in building and maintaining citywide networks because its saves them money

 

City farming:

• Automated vertical farm

 

• Automated Roof farms

 

• Automated hydroponic farming

 

Personal Use for Service:

• your favorite restaurant knows when you arrive, what your favorite table and drink is so it is ready when you get there

• toilets and public bathrooms that tell the janitor when they are dirty with sensors, i.e. at airports when there are fluctuations in intensity of use

• your fridge tells you when you are going to run out of milk and orders your groceries automatically from a home delivery service

• you turn your heat on from the office on your app so the house is warm when you get home

• virtual stores at transportation hubs that you can input your grocery order and have it waiting for you and delivered when you get home

• you are notified of any construction in your area or impacting your individual commute

WE THE PEOPLE: Personal use for governmental impact— Your ideas and input help manage the city and you co-design…

 

• data about energy and water consumption, transport data, data acquired through satellite technology, social and economic datasets, and crowdsourced data from social media and the urban portal apps used to create and modify city strategies

How Cities Engage The Citizens: This can be done through the use of e-government initiatives, open data and requesting their input to create stronger initiatives

• public sourcing of apps, idea sourcing from citizens on new ideas for sustainability that can be implemented city wide using a downloaded city app, online discussion forum

• development of e-services for all city services interfacing with citizens (minimizing paper usage). Citizens are alerted immediately to fires, floods, air quality issues, public disturbances, pipeline leaks, downed electricity lines, chemical spills, snowstorms and snow plows, metro lines, bus locations, etc

• e-services, including political announcements, parking space booking and snow clearance notifications in real time

 

 

• local authorities analyze historical crime data in order to predict police requirements and maximize police presence where it is required.

• Toronto Cycling example:This app has a dual purpose of enabling cyclists to track their rides with GPS and help the city of Toronto improve current cycling infrastructure and plan for future cycling investment

• app to tell local government about litter build up on your street,– roads and sidewalks, crosswalks, curbs, traffic and street lights and such in of need repair so it can be corrected immediately

 

 

Smart Water Networks:

 

 

• automatic control of flow in storm drains to avoid flooding

 

• sensor technology in the irrigation system of public parks where real time data is transmitted to gardening crews about the level of water required for the plants

 

• Optimized crisis management using big and real time data

 

 

 

• weather sensors can detect leaks and monitor river or sea levels to sense flooding before it happens

 

 

 

• rapid response to prevent water loss. High risk areas can be tracked

  through data analysis generating alerts managing pressure and pipes bursting

 

 

• preventative maintenance based on analysis and pressure management analytics run continuously

• city dwellers could let workers know immediately of leaks through app on smart phone

• customer metering so people can track their use and reduce

• water quality monitoring in real time before population is impacted

   

   

• more efficient ways to use water and cost to deliver water

• Waste water management: addressing scarcity through recycling and reuse

For more info on the city infrastructure needed to make sustainable cities see

Architecture Hacker 2016 Guide to making Sustainable Cities

Orla Huq