The study "Smart Cities - networked living and economic areas" examined and analyzed six aspects of a smart city. Our experts discuss how retail, the real estate industry, energy suppliers, transport companies, mobility providers and administration are helping to make cities smarter and more digital.
Here they provide insights into the contribution that digitized administration makes to the smart city.
Few cities have a smart city strategy
A city is inconceivable without its administration. This also applies to a smart city. If a city is intelligent, then so should its administration. But how do the city and administration become more digital and smarter?
A corresponding strategy can help as orientation on the way to a smart city. Alone: Only 20 percent of all German cities still have such a strategy in the drawer. Reliable future paths that are supported by the city leadership are important for a strategy. The administration itself should set priorities on the long road to the smart city, provide a framework and take on a coordinating and driving role. The administration is not solely responsible for the implementation of a smart city. Cooperation between the various stakeholders, such as private companies and local residents, is crucial.
It is an important task of the public sector to create the framework conditions for networked cities and to see itself as the sovereign of the data.
There are some basic requirements for a smart city to work. Broadband, 5G and cloud usage are essential for data-driven applications to run smoothly. Data forms the basis for smart systems and is a decisive factor for the success of smart city concepts.
City administrations themselves have large amounts of data that often cannot be used for smart applications. Either they cannot be read by computers or they may not be used beyond one's own administration area. Providing this data for use is a task for cities and communities that will become increasingly relevant in the coming years. In particular, the municipalities should agree on which data they would like to make available to whom and in what form, under what conditions.
Creating added value through data linking
What makes smart cities special is the linking of different data sources. Cities could provide data portals here, such as the "Urban Data Platform" of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, which bundles around 420 different data sets from the areas of supply and disposal, administration, health, construction, mobility, logistics, transport and business and through the possibility of fast and digital data linking, it delivers added value that was previously not possible.
Smart cities have one goal: to bring more sustainability into the city. The transformation to a smart city will gain in importance against the background of climate change. Digital and modern administration plays a key role here.
Coping with climate change will be one of the biggest challenges for cities in the coming years. Administrations must ensure social, economic and ecological sustainability in cities. For example, use fewer resources and shop in a more environmentally friendly way.
The concept of a smart city and the topic of "sustainability" go hand in hand: digital administrations use less paper or require less transport, smart mobility ensures fewer traffic jams, smart energy reduces energy consumption and thus lower CO2 emissions overall and a better environment climate in the city. In addition to the sustainable aspects, there are other reasons that speak in favor of the rapid implementation of smart city concepts. Digital and modern administrations work more efficiently, make it easier for residents to get involved directly and thus become more attractive to potential applicants.