Water Management

Street Furniture

Urban Sensors Network

Smart Mobility

Street Furniture

Regarding smart infrastructure, street furniture refers to everyday public features – such as benches, bus stops, bins, and lighting among others —upgraded with digital technologies like sensors, solar panels, and wireless connectivity.

How It Works
By integrating Internet of Things (IoT) devices and other innovations, smart street furniture can monitor usage, adjust energy consumption, and provide real-time information. Examples include solar-powered benches that offer charging points, sensor-equipped bins that signal when they need emptying, and bus stops with up-to-date travel details and public Wi-Fi.

Importance for Resilience
Smart street furniture helps create safer, more adaptable communities. Data from these features can inform city planners about public space usage, contributing to better decisions on resource allocation. Durable, weather-resistant designs also ensure they remain functional during extreme events.

Examples

• Benches in some cities use integrated solar panels to power device charging while withstanding heavy rain or heatwaves.
• Waste bins fitted with smart sensors alert collection services before they overflow, reducing litter and optimising routes for refuse vehicles.
• Responsive Street furniture (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5Bn7hGAIjk)

Urban Sensors Network

Urban Sensor Networks involve the deployment of IoT sensors across a city’s physical and social spaces—streets, parks, buildings, and connecting infrastructure— to capture real-time data on factors such as air quality, noise levels, foot traffic, and temperature, among others.

How It Works
These sensors connect to data platforms via the Internet of Things (IoT). Once collected, the data is analysed—often with artificial intelligence—and displayed on dashboards accessible to city authorities. This allows for quick interventions, such as adjusting waste collection routes, regulating traffic flows, or issuing alerts for pollution spikes.

Importance for Resilience
By continuously monitoring urban conditions, sensor infrastructure enables proactive decision-making and optimal resource allocation. It also supports rapid responses to crises, fosters environmental protection, and contributes to healthier, more adaptable communities—key elements of a resilient urban environment.

Examples

• Barcelona’s Smart City Programme uses an extensive network of sensors to improve waste management, monitor air quality, and optimise street lighting, reducing pollution and operational costs.

Edge computing platforms https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enYXUldC2xg

smart parking systems https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKdrQIXZ_sE

• Amsterdam’s Smart City Initiative employs real-time data from urban sensors to manage traffic flows, water levels, and noise pollution, creating safer, more liveable neighbourhoods.

Smart Mobility

Smart mobility means using technology and data to create cleaner, more efficient, and accessible transport networks. It involves integrated multi-modal public transport, private vehicles, shared mobility, and pedestrian and cyclist facilities.

How It Works
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) use sensors, AI, and live data to improve traffic flow, adjust signals, and guide vehicles along optimal routes. Real-time tracking apps give passengers accurate travel information, while bike- and car-sharing schemes reduce individual car ownership. In addition, expanding electric vehicle infrastructure and adopting low-emission fleets help to lower pollution.

Importance for Resilience
Smart mobility supports public health and reduces a city’s carbon footprint by reducing congestion and pollution. Reliable and flexible transport networks also support emergency response by rerouting traffic and prioritising ambulances or fire services. In addition, inclusive transit systems ensure all residents have access to jobs, education, and healthcare.

Examples

• Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platforms in Nordic countries combine buses, trains, and shared bikes into one payment and planning app.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WXcDeV1hqo facilitating mobility as a service in europe
• City authorities worldwide use adaptive traffic lights to respond to changing conditions, easing jams and saving fuel.