Inclusive, smart, cognitive: How about a tour of the cities of the future?

INESC TEC Science Bits – Episode 45

Link to the episode (portuguese only)

Guest: Marta Campos Ferreira, Researcher at INESC TEC and Professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto

Keywords: smart cities, urban mobility, gamification, technology-based services, sustainability, inclusion, security, cognitive cities

When we look for a definition of a “smart city”, there are some keywords we can’t ignore: technology, data, efficiency, sustainability, mobility, and well-being. From transportation to water supply or waste management, to how we heat our homes or how our leaders interact with us — there are many aspects that can make a city smart.

From northern to southern Portugal, from the coast to the inland regions, there are several cities investing in technology that allows them to, for instance, collect data, facilitate mobility, measure carbon emissions, manage waste, and streamline communication with citizens, among other things. When it comes to sustainable and smart mobility — one of the main themes discussed in this episode — there are many examples of solutions available: apps that allow us to quickly and easily use public transportation without tickets or spare change; or maybe apps that provide the best route options, even when combining different means of transportation.

In this episode of Science Bits, we delve into smart cities; we will explore some examples of how technology can help promote sustainable mobility and support and encourage citizens to use public transportation; we will learn about a prototype of a mobile app designed to improve the experiences of people with reduced mobility in cities; and we will also discover what smart cities truly are, and how they promise to change our daily lives. All of this in a chat with Marta Campos Ferreira, researcher at INESC TEC and Professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto.