Current concepts of urban infrastructure are neither sustainable nor scalable, according to ABI Research in an article for the online platform Smart Cities World. However, the technology research company estimates that the current norm of polluted and traffic-clogged cities is changing. Its Future Urbanisation Concepts analysis predicts that investment in transformative solutions will reach 375 billion US dollars by 2030. This will be driven by new urban visions and point the way to more “humanised, sustainable and resilient cities”.
Speaking to Smart Cities World, Dominique Bonte, vice president end markets and verticals at ABI Research, mentioned examples such as The Line in Saudi Arabia and Telosa in the United States that propose templates for green, pedestrianised neighbourhoods. “The very concept of cities will change profoundly and structurally,” he said.
The report highlights the digitalisation of lifestyles, accelerated by Covid-19, and the pressing need to address climate change as the main drivers behind urban innovation. There are also calls for more equity and inclusiveness, scalable economic development, and more affordable living, it says.
According to ABI, the technologies driving investment in smart city infrastructure include connected sensors, software management platforms, digital twins, blockchain, electrification and process automation.
