Smart Cities – The solution to mega-urbanization?

Worldwide, cities are constantly growing in size, fueled by the millions of people who migrate from rural areas to urban centers each year. However, this increasing urbanization is placing growing demands on governments, businesses, and city administrations to manage the rising demand for goods and infrastructure in these centers. One solution is smart cities, paved by the globally increasing digitalization, automation, and networking. But what are the trends and drivers of smart cities? Asia, and Japan in particular, offers a glimpse into where the future might lead in Europe as well.

The global population has been growing rapidly for years. With a world population now exceeding 7.6 billion, migration to urban centers is increasing particularly rapidly. It is estimated that around three million people from rural areas migrate to cities every week, hoping for work and better living conditions. This development presents entirely new challenges for the care and management of the people living there.

Japan takes on a pioneering role

How those in charge deal with this in order to present and implement adequate solutions becomes clear when looking at the example of Japanese cities. In that country, urbanization has been a progressive process for decades, leading, among other things, to the formation of the megacity of Tokyo. Over 38 million people live in this metropolitan area, and yet the government, urban planners, and businesses have managed to lay the foundation for creating good living conditions.

Related to this:

• Japan is already working on the future of tomorrow
• Urban Growth – How Japan is setting the course for the future

This would not have been possible, however, if Japan had not been a global pioneer in technology and automation for many years. Large industrial and technology companies such as Panasonic, Mitsubishi, and Toyota are world leaders in these areas. Moreover, much like in Germany, there is a wide range of innovative companies that are among the global market leaders in their highly technological sectors. The accumulated expertise means that the Land of the Rising Sun has an important, if not decisive, say in the development of smart cities.

Smart cities represent the implementation of digital technologies in urban areas. The comprehensive networking of administration, utilities, households, businesses, and municipal facilities is central to this concept. Simultaneously, the system must ensure that living spaces, workplaces, and transportation routes are capable of efficiently shaping the living conditions of residents. A prerequisite for implementation is the optimization of a technical infrastructure so that it has the capacity to handle the data flows associated with managing smart cities. This is achieved through automated processes controlled by artificial intelligence (AI), which ensure smooth, streamlined, and ultra-fast implementation mechanisms for realizing smart living and business practices in the city.

The digital revolution, which first swept through Japan's economy, has long since permeated the everyday lives of its citizens. The multitude of service robots and digital tools that make life easier for the Japanese people clearly illustrates this. This has led to extremely high acceptance of IT for smarter urban design, further accelerating its spread.
Moreover, digital technologies in smart cities play a crucial role in supporting citizens in carrying out their tasks. This includes virtual government services as well as contactless shopping options, which have proven particularly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smart Energy

The interplay between networked economic entities and individuals is supported by the use of smart grids. These grids manage the energy supply to ensure it always meets the required demand. Here, too, digitalization forms the backbone, as electricity providers and grid operators can use past consumption data to determine future demand and act accordingly.
In this area, Japan offers diverse opportunities to integrate the energy sector with the needs of smart cities through the use of innovative energy storage methods and a particular focus on fuel cell technology. The energy consumption of these cities should not be underestimated. This is because, due to the multitude of IT and digital tools they employ, they have a significantly higher energy demand than conventional cities. However, in addition to fuel cells, Japan also offers ample opportunities to implement sustainable energy generation thanks to alternative methods such as the use of wind and solar power.

Smart self-sufficiency through vertical gardening

The concept of sustainability is also supported by vertical gardening techniques. In this modern agricultural method, fruits and vegetables are no longer grown in fields, but rather on artificially lit, stacked tiers. Instead of soil, this method uses state-of-the-art substrates that allow for automated fertilization and irrigation, which, compared to conventional agriculture, uses natural resources much more sparingly and reduces the use of chemicals to a minimum. This extremely space-saving method is well-suited for densely populated areas and thus for use in urban environments. A positive side effect: On-site cultivation eliminates transportation routes, further enhancing the sustainability aspect of vertical gardening in smart cities.

That the concept of Smart Cities in Japan is not just about visions is demonstrated by projects that have already been realized or whose implementation is imminent. It is evident that large corporations like Panasonic and Toyota are usually at the forefront of this development. Panasonic, for example, began construction in 2014 on the Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town, designed for 3,000 residents and focusing entirely on connectivity and sustainability. Toyota is currently planning something similar with its intelligent Woven City, whose name itself reflects its focus on connectivity. The foundation stone for this ambitious 2,000-resident project is scheduled to be laid next year.

The supply question: Automated logistics as a suitable answer

Whether it's about supplying the population or businesses in smart cities, the success of the model depends on the extent to which the supply chain for essential goods can be secured. This presents city logistics with unprecedented challenges, as it must serve many people in a relatively confined space while, if possible, sparing the increasingly strained transport infrastructure.

The solution could be decentralized distribution centers that handle local supply. This would involve both allowing consumers to stock up on goods there and temporarily storing items before transporting them to their final destination. For this model to work, logistics providers must ensure that the distribution hubs spread across a smart city are reliably supplied with goods and that these goods can be retrieved quickly and efficiently.

Related to this:

• Local decentralized hubs – logistics centers
• The future of logistics centers

This is where the specialists at DAIFUKU in. As a global market leader in multi-material handling, they possess decades of experience in managing modern, software-controlled, and semi- or fully automated distribution centers. Because "smart" logistics also means that logistics providers rely on digitalization and comprehensive networking to make their processes and the exchange between suppliers and customers of goods more efficient. In this way, modern logistics is already implementing the principles of the Smart City and thus assuming a leading role in the successful realization of the urbanized world of tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

Megacities – Urbanization – Facts and Figures

German version – To view the PDF, please click on the image below
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