What makes a ‘Smart City’?

Cities are responsible for 75% of global carbon dioxide emissions

Smart city thinking is driven by very urgent and complex needs. Turning our cities into more livable, workable and sustainable places requires change.

Half the world’s population now live in towns and cities, which are at the forefront of several global challenges. Cities account for 65% of global energy demand and are responsible for 75% of global carbon dioxide emissions.

This year’s UN World Cities Day (31st October) is themed: “Changing the world: innovations and a better life for future generations”. This is something we at ABB very much support. We are ready to inspire and accelerate change for a better future, and help smarter cities become a reality.

But, what does it mean to be a ‘smart city’? Can a city really be ‘smart’?

The UN recognizes that smart technologies and digitization provide opportunities to decarbonize cities. ABB Electrification’s products and solutions are enabling industries, public services and communities across the world to achieve this goal.

To demonstrate this, ABB has developed an online desktop tool showing some of the smart, safe and sustainable technologies and innovations currently enabling smart cities.

Our ‘Smart City’ can be accessed via Solutions for Smart Societies. It breaks down the collective technical elements of smart buildings, e-mobility, energy management and data centers, all of which can contribute to the design of a comprehensive ‘smart city’.

This tool will grow over time as more innovations and solutions are introduced. Showing a vision of what is possible in ABB’s Smart City in a clear and accessible way we hope to speed up the pace of change and support the joint goal to create a better life for future generations.

Press release: ABB Electrification launches virtual ‘Smart City’

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About the author

Amina Hamidi

Amina Hamidi joined ABB in 1998 as a Research Scientist and Project Manager and has held a number of positions with increasing responsibility both in R&D and on the business side up until August 2017, when she was appointed Chief Technology Officer for the Electrification business of ABB. Since 2022 she is leading the Instrumentation Business Line within the Measurement & Analytics Division, supporting customers worldwide to make some of the toughest and fundamental measurement challenges easy and helping them to achieve safer and more productive operations. Using our high-tech measurement instruments enables them to achieve better energy efficiency, reduce their emissions, preserve precious resources and improve their operations - for more sustainable industries and a more sustainable world. She has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the French National Research Institute for Transportation Systems (INRETS).
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