Milan considers the idea of a smart city as being not technology-driven, but centred on its citizens. The concept ‘smart city’ for Milan covers smart mobility, a smart environment, and smart inclusion and citizenship. This sets out a bold agenda, which will see the re-orientation of demand for transport services; the standardisation of payment technologies and methods; and the adoption of a range of energy-efficiency solutions.
Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal, has a smart city strategy that places its citizens and their needs at its core. Technology is just a means to an end. The city aims to become smart, sustainable, competitive, participatory, creative, innovative and citizen-centric. Lisbon has drafted an urban development strategy for the coming decades, and has committed to invest EUR 307 million in related projects (Programa Operacional Regional de Lisboa 2020).
The capital city of the United Kingdom unveiled the Smart London Plan in 2011. The Smart London Board is the city mayor’s top line-up of academics, business representatives, infrastructure providers, and ICT and energy companies. It helps the Greater London Authority to shape and implement its strategy for how to apply technology to all areas of city policy (transport, energy, social and infrastructure policy). Smart technology and city data are becoming increasingly prominent in the urban planning discourse.
The Spanish city of San Sebastian has 186 062 inhabitants and was voted European Capital of Culture 2016. It is a touristic and commercial centre with strong emphasis on services and events. In recent years, San Sebastián has become one of the leading European cities in the context of smart and sustainable cities, largely because of its commitment to science, technology, economic development, sustainability and culture. The city is also an internationally recognized culinary destination.
With a population of 377 587 people and 12 million tourists per year, Florence is not only a place with an impressive artistic heritage and literary history, beautiful landscapes, high-quality fashion and lifestyle, agricultural and gastronomy products, but it also has efficient digital public services, high-level industries in innovation and technology, and excellent training institutes.
The city of Innsbruck in Austria (120 000 inhabitants) defined its 2025 Energy Plan back in 2009. In this context, and as part of the SINFONIA project, the city has selected its eastern district to demonstrate the large-scale implementation of energy-efficient measures, with the objective of achieving on average 40 % to 50 % primary energy savings in the demo sites, and to increase by at least 30 % the share of renewables in the district’s energy mix.
Since 2005, the Italian city of Bolzano (100 000 inhabitants) has developed an ambitious investment plan for large-scale urban refurbishment in collaboration with both public and private stakeholders. The work undertaken in the SINFONIA project is part of this plan, and aims to achieve 40 % to 50 % primary energy savings in the demo sites, and to increase the share of renewables in the district of Bolzano SW (south-west) by 20 %.
Sweden’s capital city, Stockholm, has been working on climate change mitigation and adaptation since the 1990s. The city is a real frontrunner with well implemented climate action plans and pioneering policies to ensure it meets its ambitious environmental targets. The carbon dioxide emissions have been cut by 25 % per citizen since 1990.
Situated on the banks of the River Rhine, Cologne is the fourth largest city in Germany and home to key players in business and industry. The city is committed to the EU’s goal of achieving a 20 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a 20 % increase in the share of renewable energy and a 20 % increase in energy efficiency by 2020 based on 1990 levels. It aims to reduce CO2 even further, with a 50 % reduction by 2030.
Voted European Capital of Innovation 2014, Barcelona is a vast metropolitan hub with a long tradition of industry and entrepreneurship. Barcelona City Council encourages strategic initiatives aimed at generating international collaboration, and promoting a global and forward-looking vision to businesses and public bodies, as well as scientific and technological centres.
