Smart Cities: A More Efficient and Sustainable Future
Smart cities are becoming increasingly important as the world is rapidly urbanizing, with a recent UN report indicating that about 55% of the world’s population today lives in urban areas, a percentage that is expected to increase to 68% by 2050. It also notes that this increase will lead to the addition of approximately 2.5 billion people to urban areas.
In this context, this research paper addresses the definition of smart cities, reviews the most prominent pioneering models for them in Egypt, and presents a road map towards achieving more of them to improve the lives of citizens and contribute to achieving sustainable economic development, through the following axes:
First axis: definition of smart cities
The term “smart cities” first appeared in Europe in 1994 in reference to a city that employs advanced information and communication technologies to improve the quality of life of its residents and enhance the efficiency of urban processes.
A smart city is “services and infrastructure” that are supported through the use of information and communications technology to become more effective, fast, flexible and sustainable. Smart cities include green buildings, transportation systems, urban security services, flood and rain water drainage, street lighting, crisis preparedness, and an economy that supports small, medium, and large enterprises.
The concept of smart cities is related to ” sustainability ” as it adds new dimensions to it such as continuity, adaptability, equity, competitiveness, productivity increase and re-exploitation. All these dimensions contribute to ensuring the quality of life socially, economically and environmentally, and enhance the continuity of these cities for future generations.
Second axis: features of smart cities
Smart cities depend on the integration of information and communications technology infrastructure. It includes technology that makes it capable of absorbing any development in the technical field to cover future services.
– Smart transportation: It is the management of the transport, communication and traffic system through a set of technologies that rely on information technology, to support smart sustainable infrastructure, through the shift towards sustainable green cities.
– Smart government: includes developing the government work system using electronic means to provide government services. The most important applications of e-government are: “providing information” meaning making all processes and information related to the city’s residents available, “communications” meaning the ability to exchange information and communicate between residents and the government, and “transactions Electronic” means providing services electronically.
– A central administrative body for the city that has an electronic control system under the supervision of trained human resources, while adhering to strict performance standards to achieve efficiency in performance.
– Relying on renewable energy sources, as smart cities are characterized by limited use of non-renewable energy sources to the lowest level, relying instead on renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, wind energy, and water energy.
– Smart economy and overall competitiveness of the city based on the innovative method of business, promoting research and development to increase employment and productivity.
– The smart citizen who represents the cornerstone of building the smart city system, as smart cities are a fertile environment for attracting and investing outstanding human capital.
According to the Smart Cities Index for 2023, issued by the International Institute for administrative development in Switzerland in cooperation with the Singapore University of technology and design, the number of smart cities around the world reached 141 smart cities in 2023, compared to 118 smart cities according to the same report for 2021.
The report reviewed the top 10 smart cities around the world according to the Smart Cities Index for 2023: Zurich in Switzerland leads the first place, Oslo, the capital of Norway, and Canberra, the capital of Australia, take the second and third places, respectively, then Copenhagen, Denmark, ranked fourth, Lausanne, Switzerland, ranked fifth, London, United Kingdom, ranked fifth and Stockholm, Sweden, ranked tenth.
The size of the Smart Cities market globally according to the “Global Smart Cities Strategic Report 2023” (Global Smart Cities Strategic Report 2023) reached about 998.7 billion dollars in 2022. The size of the Smart Cities market globally is expected to reach 5.2 trillion dollars by 2030, and according to research conducted by the American company “McKinsey management consulting”, which was published by the website (TechRepublic) in July 2018, the Smart Cities industry is expected to contribute about 60% of global GDP by 2025.
Third axis : the advantages of smart cities
Smart cities have many positive aspects that are reflected in various walks of life:
– Social sphere: scientific research has shown that the technologies enjoyed by Smart Cities help to improve the quality of urban life, and there are many positive effects on the social sphere such as :
A-smart city applications can help in combating crime and improving various aspects of public safety, such as reducing deaths resulting from homicide, traffic, fires, etc., as well as reducing assault, robbery and car theft incidents by a large percentage as a result of monitoring, tracking and early warning technologies.
B-safe rapid transportation: smart city technologies can make daily commutes faster, as well as reduce environmental pollution, and by 2025, smart cities are expected to have the ability to reduce commuting times by 15 :20% on average.
C- Improving the health status of citizens: Smart cities provide safer streets, green spaces, cleaner air, improved services for residents, and many economic opportunities, and all of this in turn contributes to improving the quality of life of residents. Indeed, the applications used in these cities can help in preventing and treating chronic conditions and monitor it.
D- Strengthening social cohesion: The use of social media and various applications may help in organizing and consolidating relationships between residents who feel connected to this smart community, while ensuring the exchange of information and contacting their local units, towards whom they also feel a sense of belonging and interconnectedness, in order to ensure the interest of these communities and their residents.
2-Positive impact on the economic field : smart cities are currently accelerating the pace of economic growth by investing in smart technologies and attracting investments due to the provision of better communication networks, strong infrastructure and services that are easy to use .Smart cities have obvious positive effects on the economic sphere :
A-providing job opportunities and more efficient markets: these cities provide smart solutions that can make local labor markets more efficient and reduce the cost of living, and e-employment centers can have a positive impact by creating more efficient mechanisms for employment.
B-rationalization of consumption: smart city applications allow the most efficient use of utilities and the health care system, as well as products such as home security systems, Personal Alarm devices and others ensure the follow-up of the consumer’s purchasing pattern and thus awareness of what he needs .
3- Positive impact on the environmental field: Smart cities benefit from digital solutions in order to enhance energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and improve environmental efficiency, as switching to an electric public transportation system, for example, reduces harmful fuel emissions, and the advantage of remote work reduces the number of Cars used in cities.
Beijing – one of the most important smart cities in the world – has succeeded in reducing deadly airborne pollutants by about 20% in less than a year by closely tracking pollution sources and regulating traffic and construction according to smart city applications.
4 – Positive impact on the military and security field: Smart technologies provide great advantages for military installations, especially in times of crises and emergencies. The data path also allows for easy collection of intelligence information and prosecution. For example, the army and navy forces in Georgia in the United States of America opened smart solar energy stations. This allows it to operate independently of the local power grid, a critical capability in emergency situations.
Fourth axis: Smart cities in Egypt
The Egyptian state has made great efforts to transition to a digital society and the smart city model, and to benefit from advanced technological developments to facilitate the provision of services to citizens.
The most important smart cities in Egypt:
The new administrative capital: through the new administrative capital project, the Egyptian state seeks to achieve Egypt’s Vision 2030, preserve current natural resources and get out of the narrow valley, and expand the built-up area at the expense of uninhabited desert areas, which ensures reducing the average current and future population density, and increasing the citizen’s share of land and services.
The capital is located 45 kilometers east of Cairo, and is being built on an area of 700 square kilometers, to be a new administrative, commercial and Cultural Center for Egypt. The location of the administrative capital was chosen to be close to promising new development areas. It is distinguished by its intelligent design, which takes into account the latest technologies and international standards, and focuses on achieving seven main goals:
1-green city: large green spaces up to 40% of the city area are allocated to create a healthy and sustainable environment.
2-a sustainable city: it relies on renewable energy sources, and applies energy and water efficiency technologies.
3-pedestrian city: its streets and facilities are designed to be pedestrian-friendly, with an emphasis on smart public transport.
4-a city for housing and Life: provides integrated residential communities that meet the needs of various groups of society.
5-connected city: it is provided with a developed digital infrastructure that provides high-speed internet access and various smart services.
6-smart city: it relies on artificial intelligence and IoT technologies to improve the efficiency of services and provide innovative solutions to challenges.
7-business city: it forms a regional and global business center, attracts foreign investments and stimulates entrepreneurship.
El Alamein new city: the location of the city was chosen on the Mediterranean coast east of El Alamein airport. It is planned that the city will be built on an area of about 48,917 thousand acres in order to enhance the process of population spread and various economic activities in the North Coast region, and also highlights its importance in supporting spatial and communication relations between the Burj Al Arab sector and the Marsa Matrouh and Sidi Barrani sectors, to facilitate the transfer of population and employment, and achieve population spread. That the strategic plan of the city is planned for a population of 3 million people.
Fifth axis:
A Roadmap towards Sustainable Smart Cities Serious steps must be taken to increase the number of smart cities. These steps include a set of measures that promote the development of these cities and achieve sustainable development, as these measures constitute a clear roadmap for the development of sustainable smart cities in Egypt.
The most important actions and recommendations are as follows:
1-spreading awareness and culture:
– Spreading the culture of smart cities and their benefits among community members.
– Raising awareness of decision-makers about the importance of the transition towards smart cities.
2-development of digital infrastructure:
– Investing in the modernization of digital infrastructure to provide high-speed communication technologies and network technology.
– Expanding the use of Internet of things technology.
(IoT) to improve the management of public resources and services
3-promoting innovation and partnerships:
– Support innovation, research and development in technology to improve the efficiency of urban services.
– Encouraging public-private partnerships to finance and implement smart city projects.
4-enact supportive legislation and policies:
– Developing legislation and policies that promote the development of smart cities and contribute to providing the appropriate environment for investment.
– Enact legislation that protects privacy and security in the context of smart cities.
5-improving environmental sustainability:
– Promote the use of renewable energy and improve waste management. – Integrate technology to improve water and energy efficiency.
6. Encourage sharing and transparency:
– Promoting community participation and inclusion of citizens in decision-making processes and city planning.
– Take advantage of Digital Government technologies to improve transparency and interaction with citizens.
7-Skills Development and education:
– Improve education in the field of technology and innovation to ensure the availability of qualified cadres for the application and management of smart technology.
8-take advantage of international finance:
– Seeking international funding to finance smart city projects and improve infrastructure.
