FINAL WORD
Using a data-driven approach to service delivery , PCMC has enhanced the safety and wellbeing of its two million residents . Smart metering has seen energy usage and emissions drop by 15 – 20 %. At the same time , syncing traffic lights has reduced intracity congestion by 20 – 25 %, cutting pollution and accelerating traffic circulation .
With climate change now an urgent priority , smart cities are using digital systems to accelerate the adoption of clean energy and facilitate the transition . Seattle , Washington , is one of US ’ most environmentally aware cities . Its City Light utility has been carbon neutral for nearly two decades now , thanks to a power mix that is largely hydroelectric , 84 %, alongside other clean energy sources , including nuclear , wind and biogas .
To ensure its energy infrastructure remains resilient and secure , the utility is now exploring grid modernisation , recently initiating construction on a solar microgrid demonstration project in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood . The continued transition to lower-carbon sources of energy will see Seattle ’ s residents benefit in terms of improved air quality , energy efficiency and quality of life .
By 2050 , an additional 2.5 billion people are expected to reside in urban areas , and nearly 70 % of the world ’ s population will live in cities within just 30 years .
Transport comprises the largest share of energyrelated emissions for nearly half , 45 % of the world ’ s countries , according to the UN . But convincing urban residents to switch to public transport requires an extensive network that is safe , widely accessible and runs on time . Seoul , South Korea , has the world ’ s longest metro system , transporting 2.6 billion passengers annually .
To enhance its services , the city is moving from timebased maintenance , where assets are upgraded according to a fixed schedule , to a more predictive system that helps prevent problems before they happen , thanks to digital technologies such as big data and machine learning .
With four lines completed , the transit system enjoys a significantly reduced mean time to repair , far fewer manual inspections and decreased project engineering costs , all contributing to a safer , more efficient service for passengers .
Smart city solutions can directly contribute to achieving net-zero targets , helping improve outcomes even in existing facilities . Some 62 % of governments around the world have put in place an enterprise-wide sustainability strategy , according to 451 Research ’ s 2023 Voice of the Enterprise survey .
The University of California , Davis , pulls together data from multiple campus systems and applies algorithms to improve efficiency , optimise energy use and streamline HVAC scheduling across 1,000 buildings . With this newly sustainable infrastructure , the campus forecasts projected savings of $ 197 million over 60 years and is on track to achieve its carbon neutrality goals by 2025 .
What all these cities have in common is the way they leverage industrial big data , AI , the Internet of Things and the cloud to solve urban challenges and help accelerate more sustainable , liveable cities . Now , these technologies are being combined into a flexible , scalable class of software solutions referred to as industrial intelligence as a service , IIaaS .
Thanks to its ability to create powerful connected industrial ecosystems , through combined computing , storage , and intelligence capacities , IIaaS enhances collaboration within and between industrial entities while improving outcomes for consumers .
For cities , it is a way to further optimise their operations , reduce waste and resource use , and innovate in real time on the road to a low-carbon future , while enhancing citizen engagement , liveability , and wellbeing . p
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