DID YOU KNOW? Data can move through optical fibres at about 70% of the speed of light, equivalent to 200,000km/s
Energy harvesting
Vertical farming
Wi-Fi everywhere
Rooftop water tanks and solar panels capture heat and light from the Sun. Small wind turbines generate electricity for individual buildings.
Growing food indoors could reduce soil, fertiliser and water use, while improving yield and offering all-year-round crops.
The smart city will rely on multiple arrays of tiny, low-power sensors and transmitters to remain connected.
Cleaner concrete A concrete that captures some of the CO2 emitted during its production could reduce the carbon footprint of buildings.
Green fingers Public parks and rooftop gardens drain storm water and cool the city. Lawn irrigation sensors reduce water consumption.
Urban forest Trees and public areas will encourage people to walk and enjoy the outdoors, leading to less pollution and better levels of public health.
Smart bins Solar-powered, internetenabled bins schedule their own waste collections. Cost for collection reduces as recycling increases.
Singapore, Southeast Asia Singapore’s water supply is truly smart. Hundreds of sensors embedded within its pipes constantly measure pressure and identify leaks
Newark, US This indoor farm is growing different varieties of leafy greens and herbs. Wavelengths of light boost crop yield while using 95 per cent less water than traditional agriculture
Berlin, Germany
Worldwide
Berlin is trialling a flexible Many cities and towns now film that can harvest solar have smart bins that compress energy. This material can be waste and alert collectors installed on a building façade, when they are full. Powered by or attached to the outer a solar panel, they can also act surface of an air dome as Wi Fi hot spots
“Solar-powered, internetenabled bins schedule their own waste ll i ”
nkstock; AeroFarms; Heliatek; Big Belly; Illustration by Nicholas Forder
Leading lights Not all of these technologies are decades away, as these cities prove