ACTION AREA 2: Integrated Infrastructures
Integration of new and existing infrastructure is the second of 3 action areas on which the GrowSmarter project focused.
Significant and as yet insufficiently tapped value is offered by integrating both active and passive infrastructure networks within and across cities – be they energy, transport, communications or others – rather than duplicating these needlessly. Many such infrastructures are ageing; budgets to replace them are stretched; they are procured and managed ‘in silos’; so the potential for cities and their customers through new joined-up approaches, exploiting modern technologies is substantial
The Lighthouse Cities in GrowSmarter applied a range of smart integrated infrastructure solutions. You can read the full report on integrated infrastructures or learn more about the individual solutions in the factsheets below. You can also find all Integrated Infrastructures solutions in our factsheets booklet.
5. Smart lighting, lampposts and traffic posts as hubs for communication
Street lighting keeps urban centres safe, but traditional lampposts consume huge amounts of energy. Combining energy efficient LED bulbs with motion sensors will allow lampposts to dim when nobody is around and brighten up as people approach. What's more, by using lampposts as communications hubs and EV charging points, the lighthouse cities will get more for their money.
Under this solution a number of sub-solutions have been implemented. To find out in which Lighthouse City they have been implemented, the industry partners involved and more details, read the factsheets below.
Factsheets
6. New business models for district heating and cooling
Open district heating is a method of using waste heat from data centres and supermarkets and reusing it to heat apartment blocks. By letting district heating operators buy excess heat and sell it on, less energy is needed to heat buildings and heating costs can be brought down.
Under this solution a number of sub-solutions have been implemented. To find out in which Lighthouse City they have been implemented, the industry partners involved and more details, please see the factsheets below.
Factsheets
Sometimes, what’s needed is a simple solution. Separating waste into different coloured bags makes it quick and easy to sort. By combining this with an automated collection service which uses vacuum technology to suck the bags through underground tubes, dirty city centre waste trucks could be a thing of the past.
Under this solution a sub-solution have been implemented. To find out in which Lighthouse Cities it has been implemented, the industry partners involved and more details, see the factsheet below.
7. Smart waste collection, turning waste into energy
Factsheets
8. Big data management
Open data platforms can help cities collect and analyse data patterns for essential city activities such as traffic management, communications and infrastructure. This information can then be fed into informed decisions about future investments. Key performance indicators will allow the cities to monitor their overall environmental performance on an ongoing basis.
Under this solution a number of sub-solutions have been implemented. To find out in which Lighthouse City they have been implemented, the industry partners involved and more details, see the factsheets below.