If your first thought when reading the term “smart city” conjures up an image of Blade Runner’s Los Angeles megalopolis, you need to tone it down a notch. Autonomous flying vehicles and rampant AI are not what smart cities are about. Smart cities are technologically enhanced urban areas that collect data through hardware such as sensors, and software such as face recognition, to better manage urban resources, infrastructure, and services. 

The goal is to use that data to improve all activities and resources across the urban city. So it’s a little bit closer to Minority Report if we are comparing this concept to movies, however, it is important to note that smart cities are geared towards improving society and contributing to a greener future.

In today’s world, organizations and entrepreneurs are seeking to create sustainable and accessible urban environments for all, through creative implementation of technological solutions. Combating climate change through the integration of technology in urban spaces has been an EU objective for more than 5 years. More specifically, the European Green Digital Coalition (EGDC), aims to accumulate the efforts and expertise of the ICT sector in the implementation of smart cities across Europe.

The involvement of the ICT sector is imperative, as the European Commission highlights that a smart city “means smarter urban transport networks, upgraded water supply, and waste disposal facilities and more efficient ways to light and heat buildings. It also means more interactive and responsive city administration, safer public spaces and meeting the needs of an aging population.”

It is imperative to note that smart cities are purposed towards improving the quality of life for people, and not just about innovation in the ICT sector. As McKinsey documents, “cities can use smart technologies to improve some key quality-of-life indicators by 10 to 30 percent - numbers that translate to lives saved, fewer crime incidents, shorter commutes, a reduced health burden, and carbon emissions averted.”

Smart cities have been developed, and are continuing to develop across the world. In 2020, the United Nations predicted that 70% of the world’s population will inhabit cities, which implies that emissions will continue to rise, making the need for renewable energy and efficient energy usage paramount. 

Through the use of the Internet of Things (IoT), renewable energy, revised urban mobility and transportation, and the automation of building’s systems, many cities globally are making a monumental effort to transition to a greener, “smarter” future.  The highest ranking smart cities include Singapore, Helsinki, Zurich, and we may soon possibly see one being developed in Cyprus after earning first place in EGDC’s smart city project category.

Earth, not our planet, but an organization committed to combating climate change, reducing habitat loss, and the conservation of wildlife, advocates for smart cities, and compiled a list of the leading smart cities globally. As mentioned earlier, the top three smart cities among Earth’s list include, in order, Singapore, Helsinki, and Zurich.

To transform its urban landscape, Singapore has implemented greater urban mobility and transport efficiency. It achieved this by creating an autonomous fleet to help its citizens across age groups to move around the city more efficiently. 

Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology, and Research utilized sensor technology across the city to help the autonomous fleet navigate the urban area, enabling university students to be transported around their campus on autonomous shuttles. Through the inclusion of public data used as part of a trial, Singapore has realized a reduction of over-crowded public transport by 92%.

According to the Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDS) Index, an index that monitors and benchmarks cities on their sustainability, safety, and access, Helsinki ranks among the top 5 cities. 

There are several initiatives that have taken place in Finland to contribute to Helsinki’s growth into a leading smart city, one of them being mySMARTLife. The mySMARTLife project commenced in 2017, and consists of an Innovative Urban Transformation Strategy, which outlines frameworks that have been set in motion to create efficiencies through technological means. 

One such technological efficiency is the Whim app, with which citizens pay a monthly subscription to use a plethora of public transport offerings. Within the subscription fee, users enjoy access to city bikes, flat rate taxis, rental cars, e-scooters, and private cars, all from their smartphones. 

By consolidating all transport needs into a single app, citizens enjoy more affordable, and sometimes automated transport around Helsinki. Where the average annual maintenance cost for a single private car in Finland would float around €3,000, citizens can spend a minimum of €720 annually on their urban mobility costs. 

Zurich has also made great efforts in creating a sustainable and greener urban space. Similar to Singapore and Helsinki, it has integrated a mobility platform and other technologies to improve transportation methods around the city. However, two of the projects in Zurich stand out the most, being a gateway to online services, and an initiative focused on smart administration, that encourages citizens to propose innovative ideas and projects to be implemented.

Stadt Zurich, a key economic, cultural, and social center in Switzerland, highlights that “Mein Konto (My Account) is the gateway to the online services of the City of Zurich… it pools the available online services around one single login.” This means that being physically present at the town hall or at the district office to pay a fine or renew an identification document is no longer needed. Something that is desperately needed in Cyprus. 

Stadt Zurich also notes that “Smart City Zurich supports innovation within the administration with the intrapreneurship program “StadtBox”, with seed money for pilot projects and with innovation fellowships that bring external expertise into the administration’s work.” Including innovation in a city’s development goals is paramount in keeping it moving toward a more sustainable and greener future.

Remaining aligned with the EU’s Green Deal strategy, Cyprus has made notable and commendable progress in the right direction. Cyta, in collaboration with Nokia, helped the Municipality of Nicosia devise the Smart City Project, “Smart Nicosia”, and earned first place among 100 EGDC contestants. 

The EGDC is composed of 26 ICT CEOs who signed a declaration to pursue the EU’s Green Deal in tandem with the EU’s digital transformation efforts. This project proposes to develop and utilize technologies that will enable better management and performance across Nicosia. 

As part of this vision, Nokia delivered an Integrated Operations Center (IOC) for the Municipality of Nicosia. The IOC “will also help city authorities deliver a range of new digital services that include urban mobility, smart parking, intelligent street lighting, environmental sensors, sustainable waste management, digital signage, and information services.” 

Commenting on this, Cyta’s CEO, Andreas Neocleous stated that “Combined with Cyta’s technology, infrastructure, security, and project management expertise, we look forward to playing an important role in helping Nicosia to achieve its smart city goals.”

Further contributions to Nicosia’s “smart city” projects include Ernst & Young (EY), and Logicom. Their initial contributions commenced prior to 2021, and deployed their proposed “smart city” solutions in 2021. Logicom was tasked with developing a core aspect of the project, which was to  create an ultra-modern network infrastructure which acts as the pillar of the project. 

Additionally, EY’s participation in the project entails the installation of cutting-edge infrastructure technologies such as modern smart lighting, as well as sensors to monitor various mobility and environmental parameters. Extended contributions from the private sector bring high level expertise, knowledge, and judgment to facilitate Nicosia’s transformation into a city of the future.

Envisioning a version of Nicosia where public transport is present and efficient, citizen services are available to all through a digital application solution, and where the city’s mobility is improved and congestion is reduced, it seemed like it was a lifetime away. However, with the initiative taken up by Nokia, Cyta, and the Municipality of Nicosia, we may see a Nicosia that belongs in the future of the EU, and a Nicosia that is accessible to all of its inhabitants.

Limassol and Paphos have also made commendable efforts towards achieving “smart city” goals. Achieving this transformation island-wide would further bolster Cyprus as an energy efficient, technological hub of the region. 

A press release from the European Commission in 2022 indicated that Limassol is among the 100 selected cities to participate in the EU Mission that aims to develop those 100 cities into climate-neutral smart cities by 2030. To achieve this, the Municipality of Limassol partnered with the Cyprus Institute (CyI), which will take on the role of scientific coordinator.

Paphos is set to become the European capital of smart tourism, according to the European Commission. Considering the historical prestige of the city, its beautiful beaches, and the high volume of tourist arrivals every year, Paphos is a significant city for Cyprus and its citizens. 

The Municipality of Paphos has undertaken eight smart city projects to achieve sustainability and modernization goals set by the EU and Cyprus as a whole. Among these goals are a digital tourist guide, smart lighting, a data center, a network of sensors that provide real-time data directly to the public, and “smart parking” following the removal of parking meters.

While the advantages of smart cities seem boundless, there are some downsides to consider, taking into account that smart cities require vast amounts of information and public data to be exchanged and analyzed daily. BBVA, a private banking services business in Switzerland, compiled some disadvantages, including significant investments needing to be made in technology. 

This is a clear disadvantage, as technology is constantly evolving, and systems may need to be frequently replaced. Another disadvantage is the inherent dependence on technology service companies as they will be implementing technological solutions for the city’s digital infrastructure. Real estate will also increase in cost, as developing smart buildings and infrastructure will be more costly and challenging than traditional buildings. 

Despite these disadvantages, Nicosia, Limassol, Paphos, and Cyprus as a whole, will greatly benefit from digitizing and improving their public sector services, as well as working towards more sustainable and technology advanced cities. The duality of the Old Towns surrounded by more modernized, smart cities, will be a valuable asset for both locals and tourists, as the cities may retain a semblance of their past, whilst taking steps towards its future.