Redefining Urban Resilience: How Smart Cities Pave the Way for Better, Safer Citizens

It’s no secret that urban areas are growing, and the migration of more people creates strains on infrastructure and services. The challenge becomes: How will the growing populations navigate the city, find housing, have sufficient energy, access clean water, benefit from reliable and safe sanitation, and meet other critical human needs when the region was not built to support it?

Leaders of smart cities are leveraging technology, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), for digital solutions and artificial intelligence and satellite data for new water solutions such as ASTERRA, to guide them.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) defines the eight recognized subjects which combine to make a smart city. These include mobility, healthcare, security, water, energy, community and engagement, economic development and housing, and waste. It includes mass technology usage and high speed networks to show traffic, share emergency situations, provide mass transit, make medicine accessible, ensure reliable water treatment and processing, and more.

Smart cities are changing the world and redefining urban resilience. Where there is a smart city, there are progressive leaders and tech-forward thinkers guiding development. Some of the top smart cities in the world include Singapore, Dubai, Oslo, Sao Paulo, Curitiba, Columbus (Ohio), Boston, Amsterdam, New York, Barcelona, and Hong Kong.

Many of these cities embrace smart water resource management solutions. In Brazil, where water issues have been plaguing cities, there has been a recent expansion of the use of ASTERRA EarthWorks satellite-based infrastructure monitoring solutions, which will transform the efficiencies for the water and sanitation utilities in the region of Curitiba, Sao Paulo and Joinville.

The effective use of smart technologies in modern urban development will contribute significantly to its economic development, along with the health and safety of the citizens. Sustainability and resilience in urban environments are both the objective and the solution. Improving resource allocation, environmental sustainability, and promoting safety in urban communities supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. ASTERRA’s suite of solutions collectively supports the objectives of SDG 6, 9, 11, and 13. In SDG 11, the target is “Sustainable Cities and Communities.” ASTERRA satellite-based solutions support SDG 11 by enabling sustainable and resilient cities and communities, efficient resource management, and greater safety for urban populations.

ASTERRA solutions support SDG 11

Recover detects leaks in water distribution systems, which significantly reduces non-revenue water and water loss. This contributes to more efficient water resource management within cities, ensuring a more reliable and sustainable water supply.

MasterPlan ensures strategic planning for pipeline infrastructure, enabling municipalities and utility providers to assess and manage their pipeline networks proactively. It supports resilient and efficient water systems, ensuring that cities have robust infrastructure to meet the demands of swelling urban populations.

EarthWorks is particularly helpful to cities and communities located in regions prone to landslides and geological hazards or near mining facilities or dams and levees. By providing early warning and risk assessment based on underground soil moisture data, EarthWorks contributes to ensuring the safety of local populations.

Let’s talk more about making your city smarter.