- Dr. Luis Amendola, PhD., Dr. Tibaire Depool, PhD
- Case studies
- Smart Cities, Sustainability
SUMMARY
Urban areas are growing at a rapid pace. More than half of the world’s population already lives in cities. The trend is even more pronounced in Spain, where only 20% still live in rural areas. The human influx into cities seems irreversible. The United Nations forecast indicates that 70% of human beings will live in urban centers by 2050. This organization warns that the increase in city populations can become a real problem unless harmony can be maintained between the spatial, social, and environmental aspects of towns and cities, as well as among their inhabitants.
In this scenario, it is also observed that the combination of economic progress with rapid population growth leads to high resource consumption, which is reflected in their depletion. This is why, as urbanization increases, problems also increase, such as:
· Air pollution
· Global warming
· Traffic congestion
· Overcrowded public transport
· Water and energy scarcity
Ultimately, governments must address all these problems and accept the challenges brought about by new and growing urbanization and new lifestyles, designing changes to current city models that anticipate and mitigate the effects of this urban growth. It is in this new scenario that the concept of the smart city gains strength—cities that apply innovative solutions in areas such as mobility, the environment, information and communication technologies (ICT), urban planning, energy consumption, the knowledge economy, and governance, to ensure sustainable economic and urban development in an environment that offers a good quality of life for citizens. In this study, we will focus on smart cities in the area of mobility and transport, which has gained importance due to increased traffic in urban centers, urban congestion, pollution, and insufficient public transport, highlighting the need for a model that strengthens and improves processes.
A maturity model for mobility and transport planning and management would help define, understand, and measure processes and their effectiveness in cities.
To this end, two studies were carried out: a comparative study of the maturity models currently in existence, and a field study through expert judgment (surveys), through which a current view was obtained of the knowledge that exists about smart cities and their areas.
