Top 10 Smart City Projects to Watch in 2022

There are well over 100 smart cities in the world today, and they are working hard to become better every year. In 2022, we can expect smart city projects to increase even more as more communities realize the benefits of adjusting their cities and making them more eco-friendly, human-friendly, and AI-friendly.

Here are the top smart city projects for the coming year.

1. Singapore

This city has made massive improvements over the past few years and reaches the top of this list for good reason. It has been working on the Smart Nation initiative since 2014 and is now amazingly well set up. The smart city includes contactless payment technology on public transport. This digital health system has made it easier for the elderly to seek medical help without seeing a doctor face to face. Wearable IoT devices make it easy to monitor patients remotely, as well.

In the coming year, the city will begin to move toward becoming completely vehicle-free. Most people already use public transport, but they want to make it 100% vehicle-free. The western part of Singapore will be converted into a forest city with tens of thousands of homes that offer pedestrians and cyclists.

2. Helsinki

This city has also grown in leaps and bounds as they move through the years. The end plan is to go completely carbon neutral by 2035. While Helsinki has a long-term goal in mind, they actively make progress every year. The city has already reduced emissions by 27% between 1990 and 2017, and they’re taking measures to reduce traffic emissions, as well.

In addition to moving the buses to electric buses and providing more outlets for charging electric cars, the city also has more and more renewable energy sources being built into the existing buildings. Renewable energy will help lower carbon emissions while increasing the energy available.

3. New York

The Big Apple is beginning its smart city journey, which just started in 2020. They will be making significant changes over the next year, so it’s a city to watch for. While the infrastructure tends to be older in New York, it’s a city that has worked hard to create more efficient running methods. These methods include car-sharing systems to reduce carbon emissions and data collection and sensors to help improve the waste management system.

New York has also implemented WiFi, contactless technology, and online charging stations for people to use throughout the city. There will be many more changes coming in the next few months.

4. Seoul

The South Korean city is home to the first smart city in the world, Songdo, but the entire urban area is now involved in creating a more innovative way to manage life in the city. They began the smart city initiative in 2014, so the city has some profound experience with building more intelligent infrastructure. The city also has a high level of elderly residents, which has focused on the safety procedures being used. Emergency services or caseworkers may be deployed to check on the person if there is no movement or other unusual signs in a specific area.

Seoul has big plans, so they will be fascinating to watch in 2022. Despite monitoring traffic speed, flow, and air quality, the city still has many areas to improve. Plans include flagging crime patterns and increasing the 5G network to improve transport and mobility throughout the city.

5. Zurich

This popular tourist destination has started to improve its carbon footprint by installing streetlights that change brightness based on how much traffic there is. With the initial project reducing energy use by 70%, the city implemented the same lights throughout the urban area. They also installed sensors to connect with WiFi, help monitor traffic, and collect data to make better decisions for the city.

Zurich is also implementing a smart building management system, which is designed to connect all the heat, cooling, and electricity in the city. Connecting systems help reduce their carbon footprint and improve the efficiency of the entire city.

6. Amsterdam

When it comes to smart city projects, you can’t overlook Amsterdam. The city has been working on improving its smart city status since 2009. They already offer a range of low carbon emission options for those living in the city. These include everything from renewable energy and electric garbage trucks, solar-powered lights, billboards throughout the city, and energy-efficient roofing insulation and auto dim light switches. In most cases, they have also moved to LED lights, plus incorporated smart meters into home energy systems.

As far as green cities go, Amsterdam has gotten creative in its energy use and the ability to manage the city. They even built floating villages to help with the overcrowding situation in the city, to avoid reclaiming land.

7. Oslo

Based in Norway, Oslo may not be the most popular place to move to at the moment, but that may change rapidly. The country’s capital aims to convert all new vehicles to electric by 2025 completely. They have already provided free parking, bus lane access, and reduced prices at tolls for zero-emissions cars to encourage people to switch over.

Over the next few years, Oslo is working on retrofitting its existing infrastructure and buildings to make them greener. A circular waste management system and zero-emission construction sites are also in the works throughout the city.

With so many smart city projects available, there are many options for anyone who wants to live in a smart city. However, 2022 will be the year to see exactly what each smart city is working on and check its progress before making a final decision.