Our hectic lifestyles demand most often than not that our homes are comparable and efficient. If one had to compare to how we lived before, our homes have become equipped with smarter gadgets.  Nowadays everything around us is becoming smart from smart mobile, smart tv, smart homes, and as expected our expectations also have been raised. Nonetheless our expectations are sky high on anything that is smart. 

However indirectly other factors are affecting our lives to live smart: – urbanisation. Urbanisation is very real nowadays, as mainly the population is moving towards cities. City population is growing, systems and services are increasing pressure on services offered waste, mobility, water and electricity.

As UN predicts that by 2030 60% of the world’s population will be moving towards cities, this increase is putting pressure to adapt to more sustainable structures ie Smart City. An important element for a Smart City is using Smart Street Furniture. Cities are increasingly adopting Smart Street Furniture, on local and national government agenda, building IoT infrastructure Smart Benches, Smart Parking, Smart Bins, Advertising Boards, Smart Bus Stops, Smart Control Boxes and Digital Signage.

Predictions on movement of people towards the cities shall increase by 10%  in just over two decades. “In 2050, two thirds of the world population will live in towns, consuming over 70% of energy and emitting just as much greenhouse gases.” EU Smart Cities-Smart Living.

To improve the quality of citizens, at the heart of a sustainable living, is the extensive use of information and technology. One of the countries leading in Innovative Technology,  according to statistics issued in the EU ranking, is Luxembourg is the new European smart city leader. Innovation and Digitalisation shall play an important role to relieve the strain on the cities. To achieve a smart living in a smart city, the building blocks are not only based on ICT but living sustainable. 

“Our common Future identified Smart City as a city that strategically utilizes many smart factors”. Three main pillars should be considered planning and management, infrastructure and people.  Specifically on Infrastructure, smart mobility mainly focusing on free transport, advanced parking and accessibility.  However not only, as Smart Furniture is also setting government agendas, and becoming an important element of smart cities.

Smart Benches – Nowadays, IoT Internet of Things have also connected smart benches to the Smart City Infrastructure. In today’s life we revolve around phones, connected to socialise, pay bills, online shipping. Smart Benches serves the purpose of a typical bench however equipped with added features for today’s live. Powered by Solar Panels, the Smart Benches act more than provide free wifi to citizens who just want to relax.  Users can use usb and wireless charging, street lighting and surveillance. As a smart way to produce revenue, these smart benches act as a platform for advertising.

Smart Parking– Nearly one third of traffic congestion is caused by drivers looking for a free parking spot, thus increasing traffic volume and waste of time for the drivers. The reduction of such traffic would reduce pollution in air and improve the quality of life of the citizen.By installing sensors in parking spaces, which would notify the parking station to update the intelligent parking free space sign when a car parks over the  sensor. 

Smart Bins – An intelligent method to dispose of waste, is the deployment of smart bins. Powered by Solar Energy, these smart bins through sensors that detect the fill level of how full the bins are, while through wifi these levels are then communicated to the waste collector.

Smart Bus Stops – Smart Bus Stops and shelters nowadays are equipped with photovoltaic panels on the roof. Also a  device charging point, security cameras, and tracking systems of buses to show the bus arrival time screen in realtime. This smart furniture shall provide a more convenient method of using public transport, which may lead to less congestion and pollution in our roads.

Smart Lighting – Smart lighting are solar powered light bulbs providing artifical street lighting builtin sensors detect movement  and natural light. Light Brightness is changed when it detects movement and/or  natural light. Thus reducing consumption and pollution when there is no  activity.

The predictions are there, statistics are clearly showing that our cities are moving towards urbanisation. Some cities are leading the way as we have seen who is topping the charts, however not all of us are heading towards this to mitigate the effect of urbanisation. We need to act fast, put pressure on government to find a sustainable way for us in a smart environment. One question comes to my mind, what we as citizens are doing about it? Are we putting enough pressure on government or at least at least on a regional level?