In a follow up to our recent article on Denmark being the happiest country in the world we thought that we would take a closer look at Copenhagen. Copenhagen is regularly placed in the top 10 of smartest cities in the world alongside Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, New York, Paris, Stockholm, Vienna, Dubai and others. How smart is Denmark’s capital city?
Back in 2014 Copenhagen won the prestigious World Smart cities award for its Copenhagen Connecting project. Its city planners use technology in a way that adds real value to citizens in terms of services and quality of life.
Copenhagen solutions lab is the city’s incubator for smart city projects and initiatives.
Source: http://cphsolutionslab.dk/
The aim of the lab is to work alongside the city, companies and citizens in order to test out new technologies and ideas in real-life settings. As there can be no better way to test solutions than with citizens – this allows for real-life learning and a great understanding of how people actually use the technology that is put in front of them. Many cities throughout the world are now implementing such solutions labs in their cities, but Copenhagen was definitely one of the first to realise that this business model would be a great way to test and integrate technology across the city.
At the time of writing CPH solutions lab has open invitations to collaborate on projects including: smart parking, blockchain applications in the energy sector and is part of a call for tender to create a Europe wide internet of everything platform for open innovation. Working locally and with other cities across Europe and the world is a key factor in the strategy of the city that allows it to be at the forefront of technological change and development.
One of Copenhagen’s flagship projects is their City Data Exchange, this innovative platform is being specifically developed for Copenhagen by Hitachi. The aim is to create a platform that enables the buying, selling and sharing of data between citizens, public institutions and private organisations. This will be the first data exchange to deliver both private and public data all in one place – it is a cornerstone of Copenhagen’s ambitious plan to be carbon neutral by 2025.
Source:http://cphsolutionslab.dk/
Urban design and town planning requires more emphasis on places rather than on blind use of technology. Copenhagen’s city planners have drawn on the experiences they have gained from different domains to guide future planning. These experiences help to ensure a better environment from the for citizens, businesses and the communities that use the city’s different facilities.The correct application of technology across different city systems will also help Copenhagen achieve its goal of putting the quality of life at the forefront of all planning decisions going forward.
The bottom line is that Copenhagen is rated as one of the leading smart cities for many reasons and they will continue their development at a very fast pace over the coming years. We look forward to seeing what ideas and solutions they come up with next and will keep you informed as and when they happen. Watch this space!