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Smart city sustainability: Making urban technology ethical

Thanks to smart city sustainability initiatives, technology and responsibility are no longer a contradiction.

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Quantumrun Foresight
July 22, 2022

Insight summary

Smart cities are transforming urban areas into more sustainable and efficient spaces by integrating technologies like smart traffic systems and Internet of Things (IoT)-based waste management. As these cities grow, they focus on eco-friendly IT solutions and innovative approaches to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption. However, challenges like high costs and privacy concerns require careful planning and regulation to ensure the benefits of smart cities are realized without unintended consequences.

Smart city sustainability context

As the world becomes increasingly digitized, so does our understanding of what it means to live in a “smart city.” What was once thought of as futuristic and irrelevant is becoming an important part of city infrastructure; from smart traffic control systems, to automated street lighting, to air quality and waste management systems integrated into IoT networks, smart city technologies are helping urban areas become more sustainable and efficient.

As the world continues to face a climate change crisis, policymakers are taking a closer look at the role cities can play in reducing their respective nations’ carbon emissions. Smart city startups with sustainability solutions have attracted increased attention from municipalities since the late 2010s, and for a good reason. As urban populations continue to grow, governments are searching for ways to make cities more efficient. One approach is to use technology to collect data from various sources to provide asset and resource management solutions. However, for smart cities to be sustainable, technologies must be used in a way that does not drain limited resources.

Green information technology (IT), also known as green computing, is a subset of environmentalism concerned with making IT products and applications more eco-friendly. Green IT aims to reduce the harmful environmental effects of producing, running and disposing of IT-related goods and services. In this context, some smart technologies have been criticized for being expensive and using more energy than traditional approaches. Urban planners must consider these implications for designing or retrofitting a city with such technologies.

Disruptive impact

There are several ways that technology can make smart cities sustainable. An example is computer virtualization to make computing less dependent on physical infrastructures, which reduces electricity usage. Cloud computing can also help businesses use less energy when running applications. Undervolting, in particular, is a process where the CPU turns off components like the monitor and hard drive after a set period of inactivity. Accessing the cloud from anywhere further encourages teleconferencing and telepresence, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to commutes and business travel.

Cities around the globe are looking at ways to reduce emissions and congestion, and businesses are drawing inspiration from each other to develop new sustainable initiatives. Smart city startups are hopeful that the annual UN Climate Change Conference will continue to provide an opportunity for world leaders to keep investing in responsible technologies. From New York to Sydney to Amsterdam to Taipei, smart cities are implementing green tech initiatives such as accessible WiFi, wireless bike-sharing, electrical vehicle plug-in spots, and video feeds in busy intersections to smooth traffic.

Proactive cities are also focusing on reducing their carbon footprints by implementing sensor-based smart meters, co-working spaces, retrofitting public facilities, and making more public service mobile applications available. Copenhagen is leading the way in integrating technologies to make the city greener and improve the overall quality of life. The city has aspirations to be the world’s first carbon-neutral city by 2025, and Denmark is committed to becoming fossil-fuel-free by 2050.

Implications of smart city sustainability

Wider implications of smart city sustainability may include:

Public transportation incorporating sensors to optimize routes and reduce traffic congestion, leading to decreased urban congestion and more efficient public transit systems.

Smart meters enabling real-time electricity usage monitoring, facilitating energy conservation and cost savings for both consumers and businesses.

Garbage cans with sensors to detect fullness, enhancing urban cleanliness while reducing operational costs for waste management services.

Increased governmental funding for smart city technologies, supporting carbon emission reduction goals and fostering sustainable urban development.

Expansion in the smart city technology sector's research and development, creating more employment opportunities and driving innovation in green technologies.

Enhanced energy management in buildings through occupancy-based automation of heating, cooling, and lighting, leading to significant reductions in energy consumption and operational costs.

Cities developing targeted recycling programs based on data from sensor-equipped garbage cans, improving waste management efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Enhanced public safety and emergency response effectiveness in smart cities through real-time data analysis, resulting in quicker response times and potentially saving lives.

Potential privacy concerns among citizens due to widespread sensor usage in public spaces, necessitating new regulations and policies to protect individual privacy rights.