Cities are the centers of culture, innovation, social gatherings, hotbeds of creativity, and one of the best places to visit in the world. With always growing cities, the UN estimates that almost 61% population of the world will be living in urban areas by 2030.
Old cities are turning themselves into mega-smart hubs with the help of new technologies, visionary locals, and savvy civic leaders that are joining hands to create communities that everyone can be a part of. At Adotrip, we believe that the best travel destinations are those where locals and travelers both feel at home.
Read on to discover our favorite cities and dig up fun facts on the most progressive hubs of the world.
Singapore has a reputation for being a step ahead when it comes to technology, and it’s not hard to believe that it is one of the best smart cities to travel around the world. Singapore’s government launched the smart city program in 2014 that involved installing several sensors spread around the city.
These sensors gather a massive amount of data on what the residents of Singapore do daily. These sensors can gauge everything from how dirty a certain area is to how crowded an event is, giving useful real-time data to the government.
The capital of the United Kingdom has a dedicated department known as the Office of Technolgy that continually works to make sure that London is a smart city. A multi-project program overlooked by the office of technology is going on to support innovative entrepreneurs and tech start-ups.
Smart London Board regularly provides vital information and recommendations on how the government can make London city smarter than ever. To keep London on the top of the list of best places to visit in the world, the UK government has a smart city plan that strategizes on how they can implement new technologies in a city that’s going to be home to more than 10 million people in the coming decade.
The footballing capital of Spain, Barcelona has taken several initiatives to consistently land on the list of top smart cities. The city has a significant project going on to install wifi hotspots in the entire city that both the citizens and the travelers can use for free.
The Barcelona Tourism department has launched a mobile application that provides useful information on what’s going on in the city. A prominent place to travel around the world, Barcelona knows how to use the internet and pieces of technologies, including sensors to conserve energy and increase road safety.
Oslo, the Norwegian capital stands out of the crowd as the city uses technology to create a sustainable, eco-friendly environment in the city. A sustainable city and a smart city can be different but, Oslo counts as both! Oslo is equipped with more than 650,000 LED lights spread throughout the city that are connected with the processing stations.
These LEDs can automatically adjust the brightness of the lights based on the current needs. All motor vehicles must put smart license plates so that sensors can gather data and improve traffic congestion.
Oslo aims to recreate its transportation network in the next few years to make itself one of the best places to visit in the world.