Many countries around the world are struggling to make their cities smarter by leveraging data, advanced technologies, and more efficient resource management systems. Smart journeys vary a lot, as different approaches are being experimented.
For instance, in Japan many smart communities are built from scratch: think of ‘sustainable smart towns’ by Panasonic in Fujisawa and Suita, or Woven City by Toyota in Susono by Mt. Fuji.
But creating smart neighborhoods from scratch is not always possible. In most cases, heading for smartness means evolving existing districts, one by one, one application at a time, starting from the existing physical and digital infrastructure.
That’s the idea behind the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in the United States. As President Biden explained, this act “will rebuild America’s roads, bridges and rails, expand access to clean drinking water, ensure every American has access to high-speed internet, tackle the climate crisis, advance environmental justice, and invest in communities that have too often been left behind”. The final IIJA version welcomes approximately $1.2 trillion in spending, with huge funding opportunities for cities willing to modernize public services and create future-proof smart platforms for sustainable and inclusive urban growth.
How will the IIJA contribute to the development of Smart Cities in the US? This will be widely discussed at Smart City Expo USA, the leading event for cities taking place in Miami (Florida) on September 14 and 15, 2022.
Let’s meet and share thoughts at booth #204: our Smart City experts will explain how PE Smart Urban Network enables the digital transformation of key public services such as street lighting, mobility and parking management, solid waste collection, environmental monitoring, and more.
See you in Miami!
