Smart cities are rapidly transforming the landscape of the world with exciting projects taking over many of the biggest cities. The United Kingdom has fully embraced the concept of a smart city and is slowly rolling out smart infrastructure across the country to help develop smart cities. Smart cities are enhancing urban living in the UK with major cities becoming more efficient, connected and sustainable through the adoption of smart infrastructure. Through real time data analysis and automation of systems, smart infrastructure enhances urban services and enables cities to respond dynamically. Designed for the future, smart infrastructure in the UK ultimately creates more resilient, adaptable urban spaces that improve quality of life while also contributing to sustainability. Smart infrastructure is a constant development that is growing the UK’s biggest towns and cities into smart cities.
What is Smart Infrastructure?
Smart infrastructure refers to networks of digitally-connected systems that are the building blocks that make up a smart city. Also known as a 21st Century City, a smart city uses advanced technology to bring efficiency and sustainability to the local community. By utilising technology and the data that it provides, smart cities can enhance connectivity, improve public services and introduce systems that create a more sustainable environment. Smart infrastructure can monitor, manage and optimise various urban functions in real time such as traffic, waste and lighting. Strong infrastructure is the foundation for these smart cities to operate and enhance the quality of life in urban environments.
Smart cities have a heavy focus on developing infrastructure with advanced technology implanted within the design and construction process of buildings and urban spaces. Sensors and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology gather valuable insights about how spaces are used. By creating smart infrastructure that can collect this data, smart cities can make informed decisions about the development of public spaces, the construction of buildings and areas that could benefit from technological efficiency.
Smart Infrastructure in a Smart City
Smart infrastructure is what makes up a smart city with the use of sensors and the data collected to help improve efficiency and sustainability. In the UK, smart cities are at different stages in the adoption process of smart infrastructure but there are some consistencies that are making a difference in many cities.
Smart Street Lighting
One example of smart infrastructure in a smart city is smart street lighting. By using sensors to adjust lighting based on real time conditions, smart street lighting is a cost effective way to light cities and improves energy efficiency. With the reduction in energy consumption thanks to technology, cities can create more eco-conscious urban environments, reducing carbon footprints while remaining convenient for the local community.Â
Traffic Monitoring
Smart infrastructure improves traffic by using technology and real time updates to reduce congestion, optimise the flow of traffic and as a result, enhance safety on the roads. Through utilising interconnected systems such as sensors, cameras and other data analytics, smart infrastructure enables real-time monitoring and management of traffic with intelligent traffic signals and dynamic signalling that reduces idle times, ultimately cutting fuel consumption and emissions which also contributes to sustainability. Smart traffic management systems also analyse data from roads and GPS-enabled vehicles to predict congestion before it builds up and reroutes drivers where necessary. These systems communicate with smart navigation apps like Google Maps, providing drivers with alternative routes and helping to balance traffic distribution across a city. In addition to contributing to sustainability, traffic monitoring is designed to benefit locals by reducing travel time, streamlining public transportation and relieving stress on city road networks.
Waste Management
Smart waste management uses advanced technology to streamline waste collection, reduce pollution and improve efficiency. By integrating IoT sensors and using data analytics to monitor, collect and manage waste in real-time, cities are cleaner and operate more efficiently. While smart waste management is still in development in most cities, there are many ideas and concepts that are slowly being implemented.
Sensors in public bins are designed to track fill levels which enables waste collection companies to deploy vehicles only when bins are near capacity. Smart bins have been trialled in the UK since 2011 and the biggest evidence for its success is Sutton High Street. The high street replaced 21 standard bins with 10 smart bins which led to a 90% reduction in waste collection. Known as ‘BigBelly bins’, these bins can hold ten times more litter than a traditional bin and are also solar powered, providing a sustainable way of implementing advanced technology. This unique approach saves fuel, lowers collection costs and reduces the carbon footprint of waste management operations. It also enhances the cleanliness of urban environments by ensuring that waste is collected when bins are full and there is no unnecessary overflow. An alternative use of sensors to reveal patterns in waste generation.  These IoT sensors allow cities to optimise routes, identify high-waste areas and adjust collection schedules in reflection to prevent overflow.Â
Public Safety
Within smart cities, public safety is dramatically improved by smart infrastructure. By leveraging smart technology to enhance the security of urban spaces, smart cities are a safer environment for the local community. Surveillance cameras with facial recognition and predictive analytics is one of just a few ways that smart infrastructure supports public safety. This smart infrastructure contributes to crime prevention, can be used as criminal evidence and also helps emergency services to respond to incidents.Â
Building Management
Smart infrastructure is used within buildings and businesses with sensors that can control lighting, temperature and security to create responsive, energy-efficient environments. Water and utility systems can also be managed more efficiently, monitoring usage and detecting leaks automatically. This allows businesses and developments to operate more efficiently, reduce energy consumption and also identify potential issues in real time.Â