Open-source innovation is at the forefront of ensuring that software-based processes, operational models, decision-making, and end-user experiences happen in a sustainable and cost-effective manner, but how is it being used in Smart City applications? The topic has been explored in detail in the latest White Paper from the FIWARE Foundation and a selection of its members and partners.
Topic: smart-city-solutions
3 MIN. READ
FIWARE Tackles The Open-Source Economy In Its Latest White Paper
By Joe Appleton on Feb 24, 2022 3:03:38 AM
8 MIN. READ
How Bettair Cities Gives El Prat de Llobregat A Breath Of Fresh Air
By Joe Appleton on Dec 16, 2021 4:50:47 PM
When it comes to air quality, cities that attract heavy industry are often some of the biggest victims. For the municipality of El Prat de Llobregat, just outside of Barcelona, air pollution is a huge problem. The area is an attractive place for industry, largely because of the region’s location: it’s sandwiched directly between the bustling Barcelona Airport on one side and the restless Port of Barcelona on the other. While industry often brings wealth to a region, it also brings its fair share of challenges.
10 MIN. READ
Bridging America’s Digital Divide: The Search for Equitable Solutions
By Jon Glasco on Sep 17, 2021 12:59:19 AM
More than 35 years ago, an American entrepreneur challenged the monopoly power and anti-competitive practices of AT&T - at that time the nation’s dominant provider of telephony services. Today, government leaders and entrepreneurs are challenging the dominance of cable companies who control broadband networks and operate as internet service providers (ISPs). Today’s challenge is driven by the digital divide and a digital equity shortfall in the U.S. which places many low-income households, students, small businesses, unemployed and rural citizens at a disadvantage.
Topics:
Smart City Solutions
Smart Government
Smart City Technology
Digital Transformation
Digitalization
14 MIN. READ
City Climate - Modern City Climate Monitoring for Smart Cities
By Dr. Sebastian Schlögl on May 20, 2021 5:45:44 PM
As early as in the 19th century, people recognized that the air quality in rural areas was much better than in urban areas. Nowadays, cities worldwide cope with challenges such as air pollution, extreme air temperatures, and heavy precipitation. In the future, these problems will occur more often due to climate change. This trend will result in an unknown amount of economic damage and endanger the life and health of the cities’ populations.
Topics:
Smart City Solutions
Smart Environment
Smart City
Climate Change
12 MIN. READ
5G Enables Smart City Innovation
By Jon Glasco on Apr 15, 2021 9:24:26 AM
Mobile operators worldwide are investing in 5G networks, and proponents of this much-hyped technology believe it will enable a new wave of smart city development. According to the IEEE, "5G is not just an evolutionary upgrade of the previous generation of cellular networks. It is a revolutionary technology … and a critical piece of the smart city puzzle."
Topics:
Smart City Solutions
Smart City
Smart City Innovation
Smart Cities
Urban Mobility
Smart Education
17 MIN. READ
How The Urban Heat Island Effect Is Harming Our Cities
By Joe Appleton on Dec 3, 2020 10:58:59 AM
The current climate crisis is having a drastic effect on the planet. While it’s easy to place the blame on rapid deforestation and unsustainable industry, one of the largest contributors to the current climate change phenomenon is much closer to home: our cities.
Topics:
Smart City Solutions
Smart City
Sustainability
Urban Planning
Climate Change
7 MIN. READ
CityTech RUHR: How Cities Innovate through City-Startup Collaboration
By Thomas Mueller on Dec 1, 2020 1:56:40 PM
The first edition of CityTech RUHR, Germany’s largest international smart city startup challenge, concluded with the successful development and implementation of pilot projects by three international startups in three participating cities of the Ruhr Metropolis. Three success stories reflect the high innovation potential that can be leveraged through the collaboration between cities and startups.
3 MIN. READ
Solutions for Cities: International Digital Ideas Competition started
By Thomas Mueller on Nov 3, 2020 1:00:03 PM
The Covid-19 pandemic has posed similar challenges to cities and municipalities around the world. What have we learned from the Covid-19 pandemic and how can innovative solutions also be used in the post-crisis period? The international digital ideas competition #SolutionsForCities, started by the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI), is not only intended to find answers to all these questions. Rather, cities and municipalities are to be supported through international collaboration in identifying digital solutions to overcome their local challenges.
Partnering cities of the International Smart Cities Network (ISCN) and German cities that have been recognized as "Smart Cities Model Projects" have identified current challenges to be solved through the international ideas competition.
10 MIN. READ
How Will Urban Mobility Change In The Post-Covid City
By Joe Appleton on Aug 11, 2020 10:30:00 AM
The Covid-19 pandemic has made a tremendous impact on people’s everyday lives. Changes to our regular routines have been coming in thick and fast, from mask-wearing protocol to social distancing etiquette. Of all these changes, how we move around and get from A to B has seen some of the most drastic changes.
Over the past few months, mobility has rapidly evolved into an entirely new beast. Faithful and reliable transport methods are being shunned in favour of new systems. Citizens are avoiding crowded trains and buses in favour of bicycles and e-scooters. As cities evolve to phase out car usage, improving air quality and the health of citizens, the Covid-19 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to overhaul urban mobility. But will these changes be here for good?
Topics:
Smart City Solutions
Smart Mobility
Smart City
Smart Cities
Urban Mobility
e-Scooter
14 MIN. READ
E-Scooters: A Collision Between Innovation And Controversy
By Jon Glasco on Jan 12, 2020 1:04:30 PM
In their eagerness to create breakthrough technologies and disruptive platforms, innovators sometimes collide with an established (and perhaps ill-suited) regulatory and policy-making process. In a previous article on e-scooters, we reported that a strategy of "permissionless innovation" enabled app-activated e-scooter startups to gain a precarious foothold in urban mobility markets. However, these startups soon discovered that safety and regulatory issues - including the lack of regulations in most situations - led to controversial relations with cities and citizens. In this article, we cover recent experiences, lessons learned and thoughts on the need for collaborative solutions. For an overview of the e-scooter market and its dynamics, read our article E-Scooters: A Passing Fad or Smart Mobility?
Topics:
Smart City Solutions
Smart Environment
Smart Mobility
Sustainability
Last-Mile Logistics
Urban Mobility
e-Scooter