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BABLE Solutions are expert-curated blueprints for efficiently implementable Smart City projects. Each Smart City Solution contains detailed and relevant information, while also linking to relevant Use Cases and Innovative Products.
Solution
Due to the growing share of online shopping nowadays, an additional sales channel for companies has come up. Internet sales have become an essential part of retail business in recent years. Consequently, the volume of traffic caused by delivery services has increased rapidly with the success of e-commerce. Likewise, the delivery market slowly transforms from a mainly B2B market to a B2C one (e.g. Drone delivery). The final track of the supply chain – home delivery to a customer – is called Last Mile. The Last Mile of a delivery poses significant logistical challenges, especially regarding the increasing customer expectations, such as "same day delivery" or "exact time delivery" which leads to the decreasing time available for planning. Furthermore, the Last Mile has a huge effect in the traffic of commercial vehicles in cities. Moreover, the Last Mile Delivery accounts for a major part of the costs involved in a delivery. A research of Capgemini Research Institute showed that the costs of it account 41% of the overall supply chain costs ( Jacobs, Warner et al., p. 20 ). Figure 1 - Distribution of overall supply chain costs ( Jacobs, Warner et al., p. 20 ) In the reality of Last Mile Delivery, challenges like a small or single order compared to deliveries to stores, many constantly changing geographically dispersed locations (compare deliveries to stores) etc. must be faced. The goal is to improve the efficiency of Last Mile Delivery, minimise costs incurred, improve safety, minimise the impact on traffic, and minimise the environmental impact. To improve the quality of life in the affected areas, the Last Mile Delivery should become environmentally friendly and emission-free (noise and emissions), the volume of traffic should be reduced to prevent illegal parking, collisions and stressful congestion. Problems to be solved: Congestion Air Quality Collision Illegal parking Limited access to inner city Costs Congestion, bad air quality, collisions and illegal parking are all ills affecting the quality of life of citizens. The accessibility of inner-city locations is becoming more and more limited for cars and trucks in contrast delivery services are growing especially in these dense inner-city areas. There are several solutions to solve these problems that reduce pollutant emissions, lower the impact on traffic, improve safety and make Last Mile Delivery more efficient.
Solution
In Europe today, 25% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are linked to transport, with buses contributing 8% to the overall emissions. Consequently, implementing transportation systems such as Electric Bus Systems offers a solution to decrease emissions while improving the quality of transportation and life ( UITP, 2019 ). Electric Bus System is a public transportation system that is operated by electric buses only. As every public transportation system, it can include ticketing, customer information, and a monitoring system. Additionally, it's essential to have facilities for charging the electric buses. Due to the charging process, a management system for operations, planning of range, and route optimisation becomes even more important compared to conventional bus systems (see also SCIS ). Problems to be solved Bad air quality High Costs Noise Lack of Comfort In comparison to conventional engines, Electric Bus Systems are free of emissions locally. Moreover, less noise is produced when driving. While the initial costs for purchasing electric buses may be higher, the overall costs of Electric Bus Systems can be lower than the one of other systems depending on the usage.
Solution
Within the EU, there are many brownfields with polluted soil, water or air. A significant number of these brownfields have a central location and are connected to the transport system. Green Remediation is a solution which remediates these brownfields and enables the use of these areas. The main benefits of applying this model are: 1) Prevention of new developments on greenfields 2) Improvement of human health and environmental conditions. The idea behind this green remediation is that not only pollution is minimised or eliminated, but also the efficient use of resources and impacts of restoration techniques are reduced. The essential point is that the polluted soil or groundwater is decontaminated on-site, eliminating the need for removal and transport off-site. Additionally, energy can be generated locally, allowing savings in power consumption. Also, old infrastructure can be reused or recycled.
Solution
Delivery trucks for parcels are a noticeable part of urban traffic that can be reduced by implementing a drone delivery system. As the market for deliveries is significantly and steadily growing, especially due to the increasing options in online shopping, this becomes even more relevant. Likewise, the delivery market slowly transforms from a mainly B2B market to a B2C market. These developments lead to the increasing importance of the so called ‘last mile’ – the delivery from the closest transportation hub to the final destination. One opportunity to improve the last mile delivery are drones. Autonomous drones can significantly accelerate delivery times and reduce the human costs associated with the delivery.
Solution
For the last decade, Urban Air Quality Platforms (UAQPs) have been an important tool for collecting, processing and visualising hyperlocal data about urban emissions. Similarly, UAQPs are generally open for access providing transparency and air pollution awareness. Data can be provisioned either by dispersed sensors across the city or through satellite imagery. The sensors collecting the data can be installed either by an operator (e.g. the municipality) or on private property. Problems to be solved: Siloed AQ data Unaccounted emissions Restricted data access Misidentification of emission sources
Solution
The global agriculture has a high environmental impact (30 per cent of global emissions). This is mainly the case due to long supply chains. Currently, the average distance travelled for agricultural products is more than 2,400 km (Urban Farming in the City of tomorrow, 2018) . Using an Urban Farming approach, this distance can ideally be reduced to less than 10 km. This offers a new attractive option for a decarbonised food distribution system. In addition to this, securing urban food and resource supply is increasingly becoming a challenge, especially in heavily populated cities with limited access to surrounding agricultural areas. Thus, food produced within urban areas offers various opportunities for cities. There are different types of urban farms, e.g. differentiated by the location of the farm (such as rooftop, window, greenhouse, balcony, container, indoor or vertical farming), differentiated by the method of farming (such as hydroponic, aeroponic or misophonic farming) or differed by the people cultivating the plants (such as community, institutional, commercial or personal farms). The following information gives a general overview, but mainly focuses on indoor and vertical farming.
Solution
Resilience has become a buzzword within urban planning spheres as a strategic approach in addressing the complexities of challenges confronting the natural, economic, social, physical, and Institutional dimensions of cities. Urban resilience refers to the ability of an urban system and all its constituents across temporal and spatial scales to maintain or rapidly return to desired functions in the face of a disturbance, to adapt to change and to quickly transform systems that limit current or future adaptive capacity ( Meerow, 2016 ). Resilience requires a cyclical implementation of preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation phases ( Mackinnon, 2015 ). This cyclical approach should ideally result in a city with resiliency characteristics. The characteristics of a resilient system, as suggested by Arup (2014), are illustrated and described in the figure below. Qualities of Resilient Systems ( Arup, 2014 ) Flexible: the ability of the system to change, evolve and adapt to changing circumstances through the introduction of new knowledge or adoption of alternative technologies. Redundant: spare capacity intentionally created within systems to accommodate disruptions e.g., increased demand or extreme pressures. If one component of the system fails, other pathways can be used to meet essential functional needs. Robust: the ability to withstand the impacts of extreme conditions and to avoid a catastrophic collapse of the city from the failure of a single element through the anticipation of system failures and provisions to maximize predictability and safety. Resourceful: the ability to rapidly find ways to meet needs during a shock or under stress e.g., by investing in the capacity to anticipate future conditions, set priorities, and mobilise and coordinate the required resources (human, financial, and physical). Reflective: the willingness to accept unpredictable outcomes and continuously modify standards to appropriately address contemporary shocks and stresses. Inclusive: the willingness to consult and engage members of the community, particularly those who are vulnerable. Integrated: the commitment to being mutually supportive of a common outcome through ongoing feedback systems and collaboration across different scales of operation throughout the city.
Solution
A bike sharing system intends to provide a community with a shared fleet of bikes. Therefore, individual users do not have to own a bike, but rather everyone can use the fleet flexibly. Flexible options to use bikes at different locations can increase the attractiveness of biking – and thus the modal share of biking in a city – by providing more convenient options for commuters and recreational users. For each bike sharing system, it is necessary to ensure the accessibility of the bikes and to manage the location and operation of the bikes. European bike sharing systems mostly use a dock-based concept, where bikes can be picked-up and dropped-off at specific locations. New market entrants are also disrupting the European market with free-floating and hybrid systems. Bike sharing systems are most beneficial as part of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) systems. Through collaboration with other shared mobility companies as well as public transport, bike sharing can be conveniently fit into existing mobility platforms through integrated ticketing and pricing. Problems to be solved Congestion Air Quality Climate Change Collision Parking Space Inadequate physical activity Congestion, air quality, climate change, collisions, parking spaces and inadequate physical activity are all ills affecting the quality of life of citizens. Bike sharing reduces land consumption and pollutant emissions by enabling trips that would otherwise be taken by private cars to be taken by shared bicycle transport. Even in urban areas that already have higher levels of cycling and walking, research supports that increased active travel substitutes for motorised travel – including cycling and e-biking – can substantially reduce mobility-related lifecycle CO2 emissions ( Brand et al., 2021 ). Rented shared bikes cover up to 10,000 kilometres a year and are therefore used more frequently than most private bikes.
Solution
Citizen engagement is defined as the two-way interaction or communication between citizens and the government. This process is continuing to play an instrumental role in the way human settlements are being governed. Decision-making processes are enhanced by engaging those most affected and intimately connected with societal challenges. As much as traditional means such as public forums, town hall meetings, etc. still have relevance, more innovative and convenient forms of citizen engagement are advancing the ways in which citizens can partake in governance procedures. Despite the variations in the form in which citizen engagement may take place, it should ideally be characterized by a clear purpose and goal, clear structure and process, documented influence on decision-making processes, and present opportunities for inclusive and continuous representation. The major components of citizen engagement are illustrated in the figure below. Main Design Components of Citizen Engagement ( Daher E., 2021 )
Solution
In 2017, 70 per cent of the global waste was generated in cities - and a rising trend is expected in the next years. One step to efficiently and economically process this waste is the waste separation at the source. It is fundamental for reusing and recycling resources because it prevents the contamination of the materials, thus increasing their quality. As this system relies on the active participation of citizens, it needs to be simple and easy to understand by the users. The main aspect is that users sort waste according to the materials it is made of, but also that citizens can be identified, thus allowing differentiated pricing when people recycle more or less. In addition, this system can also facilitate composting and the recycling of other stuff like electronics or clothes.
Solution
The average city driver spends 6-14 minutes looking for a parking place, and in large cities, the time increases to 18-20 minutes. It is estimated that this time spent searching for a parking lot represents 30% of congestion on city streets. A Smart Parking System makes use of sensors or other technologies to determine the availability of parking lots in cities. This information can be shared with drivers, reducing the time spent looking for parking and thus reducing traffic congestion. Moreover, smart parking can be used to improve the usability of the parking place itself. Parking fees are already part of the cities’ revenues. Implementing a Smart Parking System enables cities to control their traffic better, apply different tariffs according to different areas and hours, and use per-minute rates - instead of flat rates - thanks to new billing models. ( Shoup, 2007; Shoup, 2008 ; IBM, 2011 ) Smart Parking systems and their functions can have several effects that can support the aims of the municipality or the users. The following diagram shows how the different aspects are intertwined. Essential benefits of Smart Parking ( Anke, Scholle, 2016, translated ) Problems to be solved? Bad air quality Congestion Underused parking space Park offenders Accidents/ collisions
Solution
In order to reduce fossil energy consumption, electric mobility is a key component of creating sustainable transportation. Not only is the transport sector responsible for 30% of total EU CO2 emissions (72% of which are from road transport), but the rate of emission reductions has also slowed down. Other sectors, such as energy, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and housing, have significantly reduced their CO2 emissions since 1990, while the transport sector's CO2 emissions are higher today than in 1990 due to the ever-increasing role of mobility in our lives (European Parliament, 2019). One solution to reduce transport-related CO2 emissions is electric mobility. Due to their longer lifespan and lower operational costs, electric vehicles can be financially beneficial. Fleet solutions facilitate the diffusion of electric vehicles rapidly and successfully into the market. Additionally, facilities to charge the electric vehicles are mandatory (Proff, Fojcik 2016, p. 128). The main goal is to diffuse electric mobility for environmental reasons. The overall vehicle population can be reduced by building up electric fleets. Plus, using electric fleets provides opportunities for companies and cities to create an innovative image and to test new technologies. The limited range of electrically driven vehicles is often less of an issue for company- and city-operated vehicles, as shorter distances are primarily covered. Fleet applications offer excellent opportunities for fast and successful diffusion of electric vehicles into the market, particularly since e.g. around 60 % of annual new car registrations in Germany are accounted for by companies and the self-employed. After their first commercial use, the vehicles are usually transferred to the used car market after a few years. Electric fleets for companies are thus a catalyst for the wider potential market diffusion of electric vehicles.