Cities are becoming increasingly smart to keep up with the times and meet the needs of their citizens: this is what we have been experiencing in recent years – especially those of us who have the opportunity to live in large cities or capitals. In this article, endorsed by a feature from lumi4innovation.it, we’ll tell you about the projects of 5 European capitals which are emblems of change.
London, Reykjavík, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Paris: these five cities are the smartest in Europe. The classification of the smartest cities in Europe is based on international rankings that use as criteria the application of green policies, the digitization of services and the use of a “circular” economy. (i.e. the kind of eco-sustainable economic system that is able to regenerate itself).
London
According to a study conducted by the CIMI (City Motion Index), London is the smartest city in the world – it has even beaten important rivals like Tokyo, New York and Paris. In other rankings of equal prestige it is always in the top three, just after state-of-the-art metropolises such as Singapore. London is the smart city par excellence: it offers digital services to the citizen, it manages the big data of the city well and it is improving the roads and connectivity of its various areas as well as cybersecurity. These and other goals are all part of a major digital project, Smarter London Together, aimed at making London even more techy and connected.
Moreover, for several years, the British Government has been increasingly sensitive and attentive to the use of renewable energy and electric mobility, the development of which is one of the first items on Prime Minister Johnson’s government agenda.
Reykjavik
Iceland’s capital is known to be one of the greenest cities in the world: much of this is due to the use of renewable energy (which is close to a record 70%). An example? The Icelandic capital can rely on geothermal energy to heat homes and public buildings. Even public services are extraordinary: public transport is so reliable and smart that it is the first choice of the city’s inhabitants when it comes to getting around the city.
Copenhagen
The Danish capital is already extremely green: the bicycle, in fact, is the most popular means of transport not only in the city, but throughout the country. By 2025, however, Denmark has set itself the ambitious target of achieving zero emissions.
Bicycles, along with public transport and walking, will constitute 75% of the ways in which you can move around the city. In addition, the Danish Government will undertake to build new buildings and/or adapt existing ones to be more energy saving and to increase the production and use of renewable energy.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is very similar to Copenhagen. Both, in fact, use bicycles as a principal means of transport – a real help in combatting carbon dioxide emissions, which is one of the Netherlands’ targets, having joined the Circular Strategy 2020-2025. In addition to two-wheeled transport, Amsterdam can be easily navigated by both public and private electric transport (with charging stations scattered throughout the city).Ample space will also be given to the creation of new green spaces and the reduction of waste.
Paris
Paris has already been ranked as one of the smartest and most connected cities in Europe. But it also aims to become greener by increasing the use of bicycles and sustainable means of transport. How will this be achieved? By turning itself into the “city of the quarter of an hour”. According to this theory, it is possible to offer citizens all the essential services by decentralizing them and/or placing them in several places around the city, so that can all be reached in 15 minutes on foot or by bicycle, so as to discourage the use of polluting vehicles. It will be very interesting to see the development of this project, which could be an inspiration for other metropolises.
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