Lorraine Williamson
Cities around the world have been undergoing a true technological revolution for years. They have become the standard-bearers of the smart city model. In Spain, Barcelona stands out, which occupies the second place of the ranking of ‘most smart cities in the world’ after Copenhagen.
Rounding out the list are Singapore (Singapore), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Canberra (Australia) and Seoul (South Korea), according to data from Debos, a company specialising in digitisation services for smart buildings.
But what are smart cities? The term refers to those cities that use information and communication technologies (ICT) to improve the efficiency and quality of life of citizens, reduce costs and increase citizen participation.
Barcelona is on a roll
Barcelona has been committed to innovation and smart planning for over a decade. This smart city has already implemented several measures to improve public services. With the aim of reducing their impact on the environment and promoting sustainability. For example, hybrid buses and the installation of solar panels on bus shelters.
The new public lighting system is based on LED lights with a large network of sensors to collect data to reduce energy consumption. It also has smart waste bins that can reduce odors, muffle the noise of garbage trucks, and optimise waste management. In addition, Barcelona is where Spain’s first smart building is located. It is Smart 22@, designed with almost 300 solar panels, about 60 spaces for electric vehicles and 25 charging points for them. A well-deserved second place for this smart city!
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Smart cities are the future
“As digitalisation becomes increasingly sophisticated, both in businesses and in society in general, it’s not hard to predict that smart cities will be the future. The vast majority of major cities have already started projects to make the city smart and sustainable. In this sense, buildings are and will be the key to the smart city. And sustainable spaces that improve the quality of life of the residents,” says Ignacio de Martín, CEO of Debos.