## Shenzhen Takes Home the ‘Smart City of 2024’ Crown at Barcelona’s Global Expo
The spotlight shone brightly on Shenzhen, China, at the prestigious Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) in Barcelona. The bustling city was crowned the ‘Smart City of 2024,’ a testament to its remarkable strides in digital transformation, sustainable development, and cutting-edge urban management.
The award, presented at the World Smart City Awards gala held at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue, recognized Shenzhen’s pioneering ‘Smarter City, Better Life’ initiative. This comprehensive program integrates digital twins, artificial intelligence (AI), high-speed broadband, and data-driven governance to create a model smart city. Shenzhen’s approach tackles the challenges of its dense population, resource constraints, and environmental concerns, all while aiming to improve the quality of life for its residents.
The ‘Smart City of 2024’ title is a coveted honor, recognizing cities, organizations, and leaders who are at the forefront of innovation in creating more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable urban environments. As the fourth-largest city in China, Shenzhen has consistently demonstrated its leadership in leveraging technology to enhance public services and elevate urban management. Its commitment to digitalization and sustainable urban solutions has set a high standard for smart city development, making it a model for other metropolises around the world.
Beyond Shenzhen: Celebrating Global Achievements in Urban Transformation
The 2024 Smart City Expo World Congress celebrated a range of global achievements in various categories, each highlighting exceptional contributions to urban transformation. These awards reflected the diverse approaches cities and organizations are taking to address the modern challenges of urbanization and improve the quality of life for their residents.
Giuseppe Sala, the Mayor of Milano, Italy, received the prestigious Leadership Award for his unwavering commitment to advancing urban innovation on an international scale. Mayor Sala’s leadership has positioned Milano as a forward-thinking city, championing sustainable urban policies and inspiring cities worldwide to follow suit. His work aligns perfectly with SCEWC’s goal of fostering ethical and sustainable urban development, and his recognition underscores the vital role visionary leaders play in driving global progress.
Spotlight on Innovation: From Active Travel Dashboards to Child-Friendly Cities
The Tomorrow.Mobility Award went to Dublin City Council for its innovative ‘Active Travel Dashboard,’ a comprehensive tool that provides a detailed overview of active travel in Dublin, encompassing commuting, cycling, and pedestrian movement. By combining data from various sources, including census data, Google EIE trip data, and EcoCounter data, the dashboard presents an accurate picture of active travel, empowering city planners to make informed decisions about infrastructure improvements for sustainable urban mobility.
The Innovation Award was jointly awarded to Aramco and the aProCh initiative in Ahmedabad, India, for their groundbreaking projects. Aramco’s myCommunity platform, developed under Saudi Arabia’s Dhahram Smart City framework, fosters community engagement among residents from over 100 ethnic backgrounds across 14 communities. This initiative empowers residents by providing them with tools to actively participate in community life. The Riverside Education Foundation also received the Innovation Award for its child-friendly city spaces initiative. This project reimagines and reclaims public spaces, empowering children to participate in creating an inclusive and sustainable urban environment. By transforming cities into more welcoming places for younger generations, the foundation addresses urban challenges with a focus on inclusivity and accessibility.
A Focus on Sustainability, Energy Efficiency, and Community Inclusion
Several awards at SCEWC highlighted projects dedicated to environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, and community inclusion, demonstrating the Congress’s commitment to addressing the environmental impact of urbanization. The Energy & Environment Award went to FCC Environment for developing an innovative hydrogen fuel-cell lorry chassis. This modular, electric-charged vehicle, designed for urban service purposes, offers an eco-friendly alternative for cities seeking to reduce emissions. With features like high-power batteries and a low-entry cab, this vehicle supports the urban environment with clean, efficient technology suitable for various municipal tasks.
London’s ‘Get Online London’ (GOL) project received the Governance Award for its pioneering approach to digital inclusion. The GOL initiative is the first pan-city service in the UK aimed at improving access to digital devices, internet connectivity, and digital skills for all London residents. By addressing inequalities associated with digital access, GOL helps bridge the digital divide and creates opportunities for residents to thrive in an increasingly digital society.
Envision Charlotte from the United States won the Infrastructure & Building Award for its innovative ‘Glass to Concrete’ project. This initiative reuses glass waste from bars and restaurants in Charlotte to replace sand in concrete production. By transforming waste into a valuable resource, Envision Charlotte contributes to the circular economy and reduces the environmental impact of construction projects, offering a sustainable model for urban infrastructure.
The COMPAS project in South Korea, developed by the Korea Land & Housing Corporation, won the Living & Inclusion Award. The project uses a data analysis platform to create predictive models that help visualize public safety data and solve urban problems through crowdsourced solutions. By involving citizens in data analysis and decision-making, COMPAS promotes a safer and more inclusive urban environment, empowering communities through technology.
Looking Ahead: A Global Platform for Urban Innovation
The 2024 Smart City Expo World Congress, held under the theme ‘Live Better,’ was the largest edition yet, occupying 30% more exhibition space than previous years. The event brought together over 1,100 exhibitors, representatives from 850 cities, and more than 600 urban experts to discuss strategies for transforming cities into sustainable, efficient, and livable spaces. The Expo continues to serve as a global platform for urban innovation, drawing industry leaders, city representatives, and technology providers to collaborate on creating a better future for cities worldwide.
Through the presentations and awards, SCEWC showcased exemplary urban solutions that address critical issues like digitalization, sustainability, and inclusivity. As cities worldwide confront the challenges of growing populations, resource scarcity, and climate change, the initiatives honored at SCEWC offer valuable insights into how cities can evolve to meet these demands. By prioritizing smart, inclusive, and environmentally-conscious strategies, cities can build a sustainable future that enhances the quality of life for all residents.
