Smart City Project as Catalyst to Urban Energy Sustainability

A study on smart cities in Nottingham, Stavanger and Stockholm proved that Smart City Project may serve as a catalyst in creating a more sustainable urban energy use and management. The study found a link that although a local smart city initiative does not aim specifically to improve the urban energy sustainability, it still encourages cities to achieve a more sustainable way to manage their energy system. The case studies also showed that the initiatives that improve the energy system may not always be technology-based, highly innovative and costs a lot for the city. For example, a program to slowly shift towards energy efficient appliances at homes and municipal buildings. One way urban energy system can benefit from the smart city concept is the idea of cross-sectoral integration of problem solving, as this framework is result in improved sustainability in the cities in a more comprehensive way.

Reference

Haarstad, H., & Wathne, M. W. (2019). Are smart city projects catalyzing urban energy sustainability?. Energy Policy, 129, 918-925.

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