Smart city traffic management and parking projects will reduce cumulative emissions in the order of 164 MMT (million metric tons) CO2 between 2014 and 2019, said Juniper Research.
164 MMT (million metric tons) CO2 will be equivalent to the annual emissions produced by 35 million vehicles. It will significantly impact the quality of city dwellers’ lives with some 700 million automobiles projected to be on city roads by 2019.
Sensor-networked and monitored city communications infrastructure — efficiently phasing traffic lights and providing real-time guidance to drivers — can aid in reducing congestion. Digitally monitored parking spaces can alter prices according to available spaces help control time spent cruising for parking.
While purpose-built smart cities such as Masdar and Songdo can be considered a technological success, the benefits have not yet been fully realised owing to lack of citizen participation.
Smart grids will reduce energy consumption in cities through rapid smart meter deployment and intelligent distribution automation.
Smart street lighting is expected to produce significant cost savings, aided by the fall in LED fixture costs. Smart networked control systems will further add value.