The CNIL considers it as an urban concept to increase the residents a better way of living, by making the city more efficient and more adapted to people, using new technologies. The three main axes are the public highway, public transports, and the electric and water grids.
- An innovation era
One of the first elements used by smart cities is the regulation of energy. Indeed, smart cities can also be called green cities. For example, Zurich put intelligent streetlamps that adapt the intensity of the light to the traffic. It made the city reduce 70% of energy. Moreover, they are used to recharge electric cars, collect environmental data and public Wi-Fi.
As said, it’s also used to access the internet. In London, the city started a few years ago with not only a full 5G coverage, but also a full access to fibre optic.
And another point are the transports. Often problematic in cities because of the traffic and the air degradation, it’s an important subject to every big city. Cities like London or Singapore develop self-driving public transports, to connect the city to the airport or to transport students to the university. This last city is also known for the inclusivity of disabled persons, who can enjoy a self-driving independent transport to move into medical complexes, and autonomous wheelchairs made to be integrated to the city circulation system.
In the spectre of security too, New York created connected vehicles between two cars, cars and infrastructures and car and pedestrian to try to avoid accidents.
Necessarily, one of the main goals is to reduce their carbon footprint. Indeed, cities like Oslo started many years ago to have an environmental conscience. In 2024, nearly 90% of matriculations are electric, knowing that the hydroelectric energy represents 60% of the energy consumption.
- The following risk
But as with any innovation, it raises questions. If everything is connected, it requires a high level of protection and confidentiality not to be assimilated to surveillance. Moreover it’s a huge data collection, and this starts to be regulated, especially in the European Union with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
It’s necessary to regulate the sale of all that data, and the persons who access it. Indeed, most of the collected data gives information to the moving and localization of the users.
Finally, the biggest risk is probably to create huge inequalities. First, with suburban places if the inhabitants don’t have the material necessary to implement in the city. Also, what if you can’t afford an electric car, that is the only solution to have a car? Is it possible to make the innovation reach old people and the one who can’t access or master it?
As with any new technology and way of living, there are subsequent risks and that must be considered.
Julia BERTHAUD
M2 Cyberjustice – Promotion 2024/2025
Sources :
https://fr.digi.com/blog/post/smart-cities-in-the-world
https://www.entreprises.cci-paris-idf.fr/web/international/smart-city-enjeux-et-defis
